The Hellbound Hearts
by Da Games Elite
Summary: Jafar rises from the grave as he's summoned by Ursula to a meeting of the fallen villains. Can these villains be united under one leader, or will their selfish goals, differing philosophies, and all around hatred for one another ruin them all?
1. Chapter 1

This little one-shot is the result of taking a look at a shit-load at Disney stuff for the last few days. Truthfully, my favorite part of Disney's animation canon is, beyond a doubt, the villains. The heroes are good, the princesses are cute, the storylines are great, but the villains always sell the show for me. This is my reaction to seeing and reviewing Disney's House of Villains…AND IT SUCKED! So here's what I really think a union of Disney villains will be like.

Please rate and review! In fact, give me as much feedback as possible. Please…?

**THE HELLBOUND HEARTS**

**By Da Games Elite**

As he traveled through the wavering seaweed colored stew of souls, his essence flickering in and out as the ripples traveling through the river of departed spirits of the dearly departed, all that the shade of Jafar, fallen Sultan, defeated greatest sorcerer in the world, and slain genie, could think of was his defeat, his body crumbling away into nothing, dissolving into oblivion entirely. That boy's face, that demon child's scent in his nostrils, and all of his damn friends. That accursed rug, that foolish Princess, the filthy lice covered monkey, that blubbering fool of a genie, and, worse of all, his traitorous parrot Iago! The traitorous fool deserved to suffer the boredom of this eternal descent down the pathways of existence. However long he was alone with his thoughts, be it for a few seconds or for a few millennia, he had no idea. Not like it mattered. Even a nanosecond in this hellhole was too long for a deity like Jafar.

When he felt spectral oxygen hit his ectoplasm nostrils, Jafar, at first, didn't realize what had happened. After all, he had never made contact with this bizarre substance that existed beyond the film covering his soupy prison. As he felt a long, thick black tendril wrap around his torso, dragging him into the air, he at first understood nothing of what had just happened. It wasn't until he came to his senses, seeing his feet dangling over the ghastly sea of damned souls did he fully grasp what had occurred.

There, resting on the cliff-like shore of the sea, was his savior. Her nautical appendages slithered around Jafar, almost caressing his slender face, as though she wished for nothing than to penetrate him out of lust. Of course, the hungry expression on this woman's blubbery face (a blubbery face that was in congruency with her rather wide body) did give more weight to that theory of desire, and yet, at the same time, Jafar felt little fear from this woman.

After all, he could kill her in an instant if he was truly in danger.

"Ah! So finally I found you," the strange creature cackled, a hoarse laugh in the pit of her jowl covered throat echoing through the lofty chamber, "You are a rather hard one to find, I'll have you know. Took a while to truly get a good grip on your body."

"I see. Now, tell me, what exactly did you accomplish by ensnaring me in your—whatever you call these phallic things?"

The woman laughed once again, stroking her cheeks with a pudgy palm. "Phallic? No, I don't think you truly understand the sheer beauty that I possess."

"I suppose I don't. Then again, pondering about whatever sort of beauty you might possess won't answer my question anytime soon. What is it you want of me?"

"What do you mean?" the woman asked, lowering Jafar to the Plutonian shore, staring down at the river, "Oh! I see! Hahahaha! No, take your mind out of the gutter, you foolish boy. No, I was sent here to pick you up."

"Pick me up?" Jafar repeated, raising an eyebrow at this. Was she some sort henchman? Some sort of herald of a greater power? Just what was this place?

"Yes, now come with me," the woman replied, gesturing for Jafar to follow her as she migrated forward, her tentacles pulling her forward down the path of the smoky hell-world.

Jafar pursued her, seeing nothing to lose. He was already dead, and, after all, he had spent however long dwelling in the dominion of death. What did he have to lose from needing to move his legs for a bit, pushing his mental capacity no doubt by deciding how to migrate from this dominion back to his home of Agrabah. Actually, seeing this new world, it opened up new venues of domination. It was very possible for him to dominate new worlds and realms, for, after all, perhaps there were other dimensions that he could learn about here. With that knowledge, he'd be able to migrate to new worlds, where, with his infinite cosmic powers, he could do anything!

After all, he didn't have a lamp to bind him any longer now that it was melted away.

But he couldn't let this woman see him plotting behind her superior's back.

"Tell me, woman, what is it I can call you, anyway?" Jafar asked.

The woman cackled for whatever reason at the sound of this question. "You can call me Ursula."

"I see, so why're you here?" Jafar asked, curiously, unable to deny the fact that he was grateful for even a bit of conversation after an eternity of silence.

"Well, I don't mind sharing with you that. I was this close, you see, THIS close, to dominating my world, all the oceans would've been mine! But then that foolish Prince and that damn girl turned the tables on me, and just happened to take me down! All my years of planning, all that time! And is this the thanks I get for matching her up her precious prince, even if it was for a little bit before I took that damn boy from her! I had even beaten that accursed Triton! I had everything in my hands!"

"I can't deny I've been in a similar situation in life," Jafar chuckled, "Twice."

"Twice? That's worse than me!" laughed Ursula, that irritating cackle making Jafar's ears bleed. If that woman was thrown back into the lake, he wondered if she'd be able to navigate through the ectoplasm stream. He wondered if she wouldn't simply drown under the weight of her own blubbery mass. He wondered if he could kill her a second time, and relieve eternity of that damn cackle.

His laughs were more wicked.

Hers were irritating.

At last, the two reached a large fissure in the wall that Jafar doubted that ball of fat could squeeze through. Despite his concerns, her body seemed to almost contort so she could squeeze straight through the fissure, her tentacle slapping the granite walls before disappearing into the darkness in a snap. Jafar walked straight through the crack without difficulty, finding it, in fact, less claustrophobic than he would have expected.

The chamber the crack lead into, however, was far more lofty and roomy.

The high vaulted ceiling was covered with mosaics of deities holding lightning bolts and planets, clearly the Gods of this domain. It took a fool not to pick up on the fact that the man in the center, a great man with large muscles and lightning bolts, the world under his feet, was their head, considering that all the bodies seemed to revolve around this one man. The seats in the chamber were structured like that of a dinner table, with thrones with high backs lining the table, each soul sitting on the oak surface clearly kindred spirits: souls with dark desires and hatred for those who sent them to an early grave.

Ursula had already taken a seat, and gestured to the one beside her. He struggled with his distaste for this oversized calamari for a moment before realizing that, if he were to overthrow the head of this meeting, and dominate everyone here, he would need to be tactful, resilient, and keep good face, just like he had fooled that stupid Sultan. He took his seat, and found himself squeezed between the nautical herald who had salvaged his soul and, to his mild surprise, a lion with a long, shaggy black mane!

And then, to his additional surprise, though his face betrayed none of this emotion, the lion spoke.

"So that's why you were gone for so long, Ursula? Retrieving this new man?"

"That's right, Scar. Hahaha! He's an interesting fellow, though I don't think he's got what it takes."

Jafar would have blown the sea witch to the winds, thrown her down to that accursed stream so she could drown in ectoplasm, or worse, banish her to the winds so that she'd remain in a new sort of Hell of Jafar's own creation. However, if he were to kill the fool now, then his plans might be ruined. So, rather than blow her away, he struggled to twitch his lips into a slight grin, his eyes glaring at the both of them. "Listen now, I don't understand what I require to have what it takes."

"Well then, tell me, have you ever killed your brother and convinced your nephew that he was the one who had sent his father to an early grave?" Scar the lion asked, chuckling.

"Well—"

"This is an outrage!"

Jafar glanced over his shoulder to see a newcomer in the room, being guided by a woman wearing black, horns piercing through the hood on her head, her staff held in her hand as she took her seat, her expression disinterested an insidious. Jafar felt a sudden respect toward this woman, as though she was just as intolerant of the fools in the court as he was.

However, it was not her who made the shouts of fury.

"There must be some sort of mistake. This place is a Hellhole! Is this my punishment for lust? Is this Purgatory?"

It was an old man, far older than any of the people already in the room, dressed in long black and purple robes, as though he were wearing the darkness of night on his frail body, his large dropping hat larger than Jafar's own turban. There was a madness in his eyes, a wickedness in his aura, that, upon even looking at this man, even he felt repulsed, as though he wanted to kill him then and there and felt no one would blame him if he did, rather they'd applaud his murder.

"Will you hold your tongue for even a moment, fool?" the woman who brought the old man in replied, her voice slow, fearsome, and, for all intents and purposes, filled with malice, "You've been speaking for the entire way here. Can it be too much for you to hold your tongue for even a moment?"

"My God! My aching ears hurt already…" Jafar became aware of a figure who had no doubt been sitting there for awhile now, a man dressed in flamboyant red attire, filled with frilly white and a hat that put any headwear the others in the room had on their head look frail and small in comparison. His one hand had been knocked off no doubt in combat, and had been replaced with a hook. This silly looking man was in sharp relief with the rest of the people here. Jafar could not for a moment appreciate him as a threat for his domination plans. In fact, if Jafar were to threaten his life, no doubt this man would just cry at his feet and go along with his evil plans.

A good pawn.

And yet, even his future pawn could not distract him enough from that old man's shouting. "You are all demons here to test me, aren't you! Well, rest assured that none of your deception will detour me from the proper pathway of justice. You shall all burn in the pit! Turn to bloodstained ashes and soot upon the underside of Hell! Eternal damnation awaits you!"

"Oh will you shut up?" spoke a gigantic sentient burlap sack. Jafar had lost any sense of awe of the others in this room after the talking cat compared his sins to a great Genie like Jafar, but even the former sultan couldn't deny that seeing a gigantic sack in the shape of a human, a mere parody of Jafar's former race, unsettled him. However, that voice erased all fear from his heart, and left only one thought in Jafar's heart.

He was another good pawn.

"Why don't you loosen up and just put all your worries in the dice, eh, old guy?" the burlap sack chuckled, tossing two six-sided cubes in the air, a small snake twisting through the holes on the sides.

"Gambling? What a sinful recreation," the man replied, refusing to sit by the others, "I shall hear what the man who sent me here wishes to say before accursing you all to the flaming pit!"

"What a swell guy he is," a large man laughed, his muscles bulging out of his red shirt. This man seemed seemly out of place amongst the rest. He didn't seem particularly threatening, silly, or irritating. He didn't even try looking fearsome. He looked as though they had just plucked an ordinary mortal from the batch of souls, and felt that he would be able to fill a seat at the table.

"Gaston, be nice to our new guest," Ursula cackled, that painful laugh filling Jafar's ears yet again. "I suppose we could just destroy him later. He seems to be a little obsessed with fire and brimstone though. Maybe we could just bring him to some firehole and just leave him there. Let him scream all his heart out then."

"What a blasphemous woman!" the old man shouted, "Damn all of you to the pit!"

"Damn us?" the man with the hook chuckled, "Damn Captain Hook? Damn my great crew? Now come now, surely you're joking around. I'm not even dead like you are."

"Neither am I," an old woman sitting at his side who looked as though she were a millennia past her expiration date replied, her feathery attire attempting, vainly, to make herself look larger than she was. In actually, she was frailer than the old man. Like the man named Captain Hook, Jafar couldn't take her seriously.

"Where did you get this guy, Maleficent?" the burlap sack man laughed, bugs sputtering from his mouth as he turned toward the woman all in black, whose expression was almost pained, as though she could simply name the places she'd rather be than this hellhole, this irritating dimension, and longed for nothing short than to kill everyone here.

Kindred spirit indeed.

"I had to wade through the deepest, foulest corners of the Underworld," the woman replied, who Jafar now knew by the name Maleficent, "He had committed sins that even I find mildly offensive."

"The sinful will always view virtue as sinful," the old man replied, his head held high.

At that instant, two new figures arrived. One was a woman who could only be referred to as a Queen, her robes trailing behind her, a crown on her head, a majestic appearance about her as she glanced at no one other than her seat at the table. Behind her was a man, or at least that's what Jafar assumed it was. It resembled a human in shape, in that it had arms and legs and a head. However, those horns that sprouted from under his grotesque, moldy hood, his mass fearsome and horrifying. From beneath the shadows of his hood emerged two glowing spheres that could only be eyes.

He was just as terrifying as the demonic man preaching virtue.

"Who's that guy?" the sack man asked the Queen.

"Oogie Boogie, meet the Horned King," the Queen replied, her voice a mere drawl as the monstrous man with horns took a seat at her side, with only the blubbery sea witch separating Jafar from that monster. Jafar knew she'd serve a purpose eventually.

"Hello," the Horned King said, his voice a raspy croak, as though it had emerged from the depths of hell, a whispery whistle from the depths of his vocal cords.

"What an assembly of freaks," the muscle bound man known as Gaston mumbled, plopping his feet on the table as he leaned back, stretching out his torso, "But I'm afraid none of you really look like you could beat me in a fight."

"Excuse me, sir, but I'm afraid that all of us could beat you," Scar replied, his voice sophisticated, high above Gaston's rank, "Except for that old woman, Yzma, over there."

"Hey!" the frail woman shouted, rising to her feet.

"Except that guy," Oogie Boogie laughed, pointing at a seat off to the corner. Jafar had been, until that moment, unaware that anyone had even been sitting there. There, sitting silently in the chair, was a man dressed entirely in animal skins, his head lowered as a great hawk remained perched quietly on his shoulder. At his side, he held a long, poorly constructed yet fearsome blade. Even when pointed out by the talking bag, he didn't respond. He was a warrior, a true fighter. Jafar was mildly curious what would happen if that man and Jafar even crossed paths.

"Shan Yu, don't be so antisocial. Tell Gaston here you'd kick his stinky behind into next week," Oogie Boogie cackled.

"I'm not afraid to take you on!" Gaston laughed, rising to his feet, a confident grin on his broad chinned face.

The hulk of a man chuckled to himself, glancing up at the challenge. "I'm afraid to fight you."

"Cowardly in the face of a true man? I see how it is."

"No. I'm afraid I'd be forced to clean up the mess."

Just as Gaston pulled his seat aside, ready to pummel the quiet boaster to the ground, there was a great explosion of blue fire and smoke from the head of the table. Jafar turned at this, a smile on his lips, clearly aware that their fearless leader, the man Jafar would need to overthrow, had arrived. There, standing in the smoke and fire, was a large figure, bald save for the enflamed locks that flickered over his hairline, burning with a great intensity as the chamber flickered with the arrival of the fire on his head. His blue skin was cool, chilling the chamber with an aura of relaxation upon his arrival.

"Sorry for takin' so long, I just had to take care of some business upstairs, ya know? There was this guy upstairs who was arguing with me about how to get rid of the big guy up on top, so I just needed to slap some sense into him. Ya know how these things are right, guys?"

"Are you the one who summoned us here?" Maleficent asked, her voice flat.

"That I am."

At that moment, Maleficent rose from her seat, and attempted to walk away. However, as she left the table, their leader appeared before her, inches away in a puff of flame, holding Maleficent back. "Woah—woah—woah—woo~oah! Let's not be too hasty here now. You leave now, and you'll go back to sailing on the river of empty dreams and boredom, okay? So what's it gonna be? Whaddya got t' lose now, lady?"

"I see. However, rest assured, if this offer of yours leaves me unimpressed, I'll show you all the powers of Hell!"

"Damned slime!" the old man snapped, drawing backward in disgust.

"Oh, I had a feeling you'd say that, kid," their summoner replied, waving off the old man's comments as he neared the frail old man. He wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders, drawing him close as though they were bosom buddies. However, the old man's expression clearly stated how much he's rather be doing more enjoyable activities, like sleeping on a bed of pins.

"Kid?" the old man repeated, unable to really comprehend this man's babble.

"Yeah, kid! I mean, I think I have a few billion years on ya already, so don't worry about, you know, authority or rank. I kinda had a few billion years to move up the ranks to Godhood."

"Deceiver of man!" the old man drew away from the fire-haired god, his eyes wide with hatred. "Tell us your name, enemy of God!"

"It's Hades, Lord of the Dead, hey, how're ya doin'?" the God extended his hand, a calm smile on his lips.

"Damn your accursed soul to the pits of Hell!" the old man pushed aside Hades' hand with a sharp slap, drawing back, his arms before him, his expression filled with unbridled hatred.

"Oh, whatever," Hades laughed, waving him away, "Well, would you all like a chance at resurrection?"

"I'm not dead," Captain Hook sighed.

"Nor me," Yzma replied, "In fact, I'm kinda getting bored of this damp hole. This moisture is not helping my arthritis, ya know."

"Yeah, well, I brought you two down first, and if it wasn't for me, old bag, ya'd still be caughin' up hair balls, so a little 'thank you' would be appreciated." Yzma fell silent. Hades drew up to the front of his table, clapping his hands together as he rubbed his palms together, a grin crawling up his lips, his jagged teeth glinting in the faint light. "Okay, that aside, you guys all have grudges, I suppose?"

"It is my grudge that no doubt brought me to Purgatory," the old man replied.

"Hey, Frollo, shut up! No one wants t' hear ya talk right now," Hades replied, "It was a rhetorical question anyway. You're supposed to just NOT TALK!" Upon Hades's sudden flare of anger, the fire on his head exploded upward, scorching the surface of their high ceiling.

"My God! A demon!" Frollo drew back, his arms across his face.

"Hahahaha! What a coward!" Ursula cackled, her jelly-like belly trembling in a sickening manor.

"But, anyway, all of you have a grudge for someone, right? Everyone has someone up topside they'd like to have a reunion with, am I right or am I right?" Hades paused a moment to let this sink in. Indeed, Jafar's thoughts for all his eternity in that river was how he wanted to slam Aladdin's head into the open jaws of a foul monster whose name no human should ever hear.

"I take it you wish to bring us back for revenge?" Jafar chuckled, "But tell me, as pleasurable as that idea is to hear, I doubt you're doing this for charity's sake."

Hades chuckled. "Ya know, I like ya, Jaffy—can I call ya Jaffy?—You catch on quickly. Yes, there is a catch for me helpin' you: you guys gotta help me."

"And what does that entail?" Maleficent asked, curiously.

"I guarantee none of you guys will be able to help out as much as I can," Gaston replied.

"Yes, of course. Because no one can gamble like Gaston, right?" Oogie Boogie laughed.

"Exactly!"

"Doesn't explain why you lost four out of four rounds of Blackjack, then, buddy ol' pal!" the sack laughed, elbowing Gaston in the ribs.

"That's because you cheated!"

"Guys, we have some discussion we need to work out here. C'mon! Let's get back on track here, guys!" Hades snapped, vainly trying to draw the two gamblers from their argument.

"Silence." Everyone was silenced as Shan Yu spoke, a small grin on his lips. "I want to hear this man's proposal."

There was a moment following that announcement before Hades continued, a smile on his lips. "Okay, cool. Reason I called you guys all down was because you're some of the best. The best of the best."

"I know I am," Gaston laughed.

"Your pride is a mortal sin worthy of damnation," Frollo replied, still standing apart from the table.

"What sort of ridiculous flattery is this?" the Queen grumbled, "Tell us what you want now, or else my attention span will be ran to its ends."

"Alright, tough crowd. Anyway, I want you to help me overthrow the guys up top so the entire Cosmos will be mine—er, ours—Whaddya say?"

That was his great plan? Taking over the world? Well, Jafar couldn't deny his objective was similar. Nevertheless, he saw a great opportunity for domination right then and there. If everyone of these weak willed fiends went along with Hades' plan, the moment that Jafar found Hades at his weakness and destroyed him, Jafar would find himself in charge of a legion of warriors ready to dominate all the worlds in existence. He grinned at this.

"So, let's backtrack here a bit!" Oogie Boogie laughed, "You want us all to follow you?"

"Well, kinda, yeah."

"Ha! Maybe I'll join ya. Don't see why I wouldn't. I mean, really, so long as you let me put up some gamblin' rings here and there, I'll be fine—!"

Maleficent rose to her feet, and turned away. She didn't give reason for this sudden movement, and even Oogie Boogie's words lost their impact upon this sudden movement. The horned woman turned toward Hades, glaring at him from behind her fearsome eyelids as she sneered slightly, smirking at his stupidity. "You honestly expect me to serve? The Mistress of all Evil? You must've taken me for a fool."

"Oh God, prima donas," sighed Hades.

"If those two mortals found themselves in the world of the dead, surely it'll be effortless to find an exit myself. If any trials stand in my way, any demons, I'll simply slay them. If you stand in my way, I'll throw you in that accursed lake where I was forced to remain within for only God knows how long. If any of you wish to join me, well, you'll need to acknowledge me as your Master."

"I am with Maleficent on this matter as well," the Queen replied, rising to her feet as well, "I have no true desire to take over the Cosmos. I see no point in universal domination whatsoever."

"What? Why wouldn't you want to conquer the world!" Hades stammered, "What's wrong with domination, anyway? I mean, why wouldn't you want to take over the world!"

"I can name a few reasons," Captain Hook replied, "I mean, why would I want to take over the world? It takes all the fun out of trying to kill Peter Pan!"

"Hello? You help me take over the world, I'll let you kill Peter Pan, and then bring you back here so you can kill him until you get bored of him!"

"I've heard enough of this sinful discussion!" Frollo snapped, turning on his heels, "This punishment is divine. Surely this is all part of the Lord's mysterious plans. Nevertheless, I will find a way out of this damned hole, and find a way to slaughter those damn gypsies."

"You help me take over the world, I'll let you freakin' go Hitler on those gypsies if you want!"

"Who's he?" Frollo asked.

"Don't worry. You'll see in a few centuries. Anyway, look! This is stupidity! Guys! You all have goals and all, but you can get all of them if you just follow me! Alright! How hard is it! I MEAN, IT'S FREAKING TAKING OVER THE WORLD! Who doesn't want to do that, huh! HUH?" At the sound of his shouting, his flaming hair exploded up amongst him, his entire body consumed in the inferno he created, the tongues of flame spinning around his mass, licking the stone surface he stood on, sending ashes into the air.

As the display settled down, Shan Yu rose to his feet, a smile on his lips. "I see nothing wrong with domination, if it's any consolation to you."

The Horned King rose to his feet as well, a chuckle in his dried out throat. "I was planning on taking over the world myself, and, if aided by equals, I'll reach this goal faster. I see nothing wrong with this path."

"This might be a good way to spend a weekend," Yzma replied, mostly to herself, "Maybe I'll turn Zeus into a roach, then throw him into a box. Then put it in another box. And then another box! And then send it into that river, put a rock in the boxes, and drown it! YEAH! That sounds like a good idea! Hahahahahah—GHACK!" Yzma coughed into her hands, gagging on her own laugh.

Jafar rose to his feet, a grin on his lips as well. No doubt both the Horned King and Shan Yu (though Yzma was questionable) were like minded individuals. Surely they all saw the opportunity before them: kill Hades, overthrow him, and rule the Cosmos themselves. Surely they were all rivals, and yet, compared to the Genie Jafar, they were only second rate, no, third rate, no, lower than that. There was a laugh in his throat that Jafar struggled to suppress, suppressed to have explode from his chest in a cackling roar of laughter.

He suppressed all but a giggle.

"Well, if all of you are going to participate in this madness, I suppose I could donate my time as well," Scar chuckled beside him, glancing over at Hades.

"What do I have to lose?" Ursula laughed, leaving Jafar longing for nothing short than her head to roll. When Jafar overthrew Hades, Ursula would be the first one to be executed, or perhaps launched from a cannon into space!

"Why would I want to dominate the world?" Gaston asked, "I mean, I'll help, seeing as how you'll bring me back to life if you do, but why?"

"Well, uh, chicks DIG overlords," Hades replied, smiling.

"I am in!" Gaston laughed, rising to his feet.

Hades knew how to play his cards.

"Well, I'll tell you whether I'll join you by the roll of the dice! Let's do this, firehead!" Oogie Boogie laughed, "Evens or Odds, flame boy?"

"Even!"

Oogie Boogie laughed as he rolled the dice. They clambered to a halt upon impact on the table, rolling to a halt. The first die was a five, only for the five to turn up as a seven. Hades laughed before there was a loud thud. The table shook, and the five rolled over to six. Oogie Boogie laughed out loud, "Oh! So sorry! Eleven! HAHAHAHAHA!"

"You damn cheater! That was a ten! A TEN!" Hades's entire mass of flames exploded outward, hands extending from the mass of flame, knotting into fingers ready to strangle the life from Oogie's nonexistent throat. Oogie laughed in his hysterics before turning to Hades, either unaware or indifferent in regards to the Death God's unbridled fury.

"So long as you let me do a little gamblin' on the side, I'll bring you to a gateway between all sorts of worlds to take over!" Oogie laughed.

"Yes, I know of it, but you'll show me where it is," Hades laughed, "Reason I brought you here, after all, Oogie. That doorway is essential for my plans."

"I suppose I should lend my aid as well," Jafar replied, rising to his feet, knowing full well that he'd sooner kill everyone here than truly and thoroughly form an alliance with them. The moment the chips were down, and all was in his favor, he would kill them all and rule as supreme ruler. However, to get to that point, he'd need their aid.

"Hmmph! I see nothing to be gained by allying myself with the likes of you," Maleficent snapped, "If you'll excuse me, I'll find my own way out." Maleficent and the Queen navigated through the fissure in the wall.

At this, Gaston turned toward Hades, and asked, curiously, "Do you want me to take 'em?"

"No, they'll never find a way out," Hades laughed, "It's a labyrinth down here! They'll sooner find Jimmy Hoffa's body then—"

"This infernal nightmare is worthy of damnation! Rest assured that the forces of light will send you down into the Pit! I hope you all enjoy Hell!" Frollo snapped, turning his tail on the rest as he approached the fissure in the wall, his black cloak trailing behind him. A moment passed after his shadow disappeared from view entirely before Jafar felt at ease. Jafar was a man of great power, but that frail old man sent nothing but terror through his heart. Not fear terror, but a sort of terror that hit him in the deepest corridor of his heart, a terror of the unknown, a terror that told him that old man could do anything, and he'd never see it coming. There was no morals in that man, and even amongst fiends, a lack of morals was a terrifying concept.

"Weren't you shipping out too, Hook?" Gaston asked, turning toward the Captain, who appeared most agitated.

"Well, you see, I'd rather not be out and about with filth like that old man!" Hook replied, gesturing toward the fissure where Frollo had just slithered away from, "I'll work with you for now, if not only to find that accursed Peter Pan!"

"Oh, good! So, then we're all in agreement?"

"I'd say so," Jafar chuckled, "But I take it you'll be our leader? I have no issue with that. Do you?" As Jafar expected, the others, all of whom no doubt wished to overthrow Hades, nodded in agreement with Jafar. "Good, then who shall be second-in-command? Seeing as how I am an almighty Genie, I suppose I should play that role."

"I have a disagreement there," the Horned King replied, "I have armies and legions of dead monsters willing to aid me. You are alone. I have more to offer here."

"I have armies as well," Shan Yu replied, "Armies that have taken down Empires."

"Hahaha! And all of you act as though you're all so amazing! But you lack the magical finesse that I possess!" Ursula laughed.

"To be perfectly honest I don't care who is second-in-command. Let's just get on with this already," Scar replied, sighing.

"How about we see who can outshoot each other? I'll win that, yes, but it'll be a fair competition!" Gaston replied, his voice deep and proud.

"How about we decide it on a little gamble, eh?" Oogie asked.

"No second in command! How about that?" Hades replied, his hair flaring up for an instant, "Let's just do it already, okay?"

"I don't see why not," Jafar replied, foreseeing the day when he'd rule supreme over al.

That day was nigh.

#

Thank you for reading! This was a one-shot, but maybe I'll update it if I ever get around to it. ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

Remember what I said about this being a one-shot? Well…I kinda had a HUGE source of inspiration for this…and decided against that idea. Prepare not for simply a one-shot…prepare for an EPIC!

#

Part 2

It was one thing to create an army of the damned to fight against the Gods.

It was quite another to know that you had a shot at victory.

Hades sat at the head of his table, standing at his standing generals, a smile on his lips, his twisted teeth jetting over his curled lips as he laughed to himself. After years of planning, years of waiting for the proper warriors to fall under his grasp, here he was, standing before the hit-team from Hell! He had waited for the worlds to age to just the right point where he could hand-pick the biggest bads from all around, just for this one moment, this instant, where he could triumph over the darkness, and crush everyone. He'd crush those accursed Gods, that arrogant Zeus who threw him down into this damp, roach infested pothole, and, of course, that big guy's son Hercules, that irritating, muscle bound idiot!

However, had one taken a look at Hades without knowing the wrathful thoughts surging around in his twisted brain, one would've never expected he'd be so full of wrath, so full of rage. He was the personification of laid back relaxation. Cool, collected, composed. He was, for all intents and purposes, an iceberg. Which, considering that he was in Hell, might seem an unlikely combination.

Get it, an iceberg in hell?

Laugh, or so help me…

"So what's the plan, big guy?" the sack of bugs Oogie Boogie asked, a laugh in his infectious mouth, "We all gonna invade Heaven or wherever those guys live, and just beat the cream outta 'em?"

Hades chuckled at this. Such an inexperienced fool. "Oh, how niave you are, Boogie-man. No, a frontal assault? No, not the best idea. Too many Gods up there for that. Last time, I waited for the Titans to be freed, and even that, well, it didn't work quite as well as I would've expected."

"We could raise the forces of a massive army," the Horned King whispered in his frightening hoarse rambling voice, "An army without bounds or limitations, one that could, perhaps, overthrow the Gods in your Heaven. Or perhaps we could develop a weapon. Or, perhaps, we can harness both."

The chamber was silent for a moment before Captain Hook laughed, clanging his hooked metallic appendage against the table as though the concept of an army-weapon creation was as unreasonable as a pirate giving his treasure away to charity. "My God sir, I've never heard of anything quite that ridiculous! Please, if you know of anything like that, tell us now, or else I'll just suggest my idea, and ignore everything you have to say."

"But Mr. Hook—"

"Captain, Horned King!"

"Right, Captian—I have a weapon as I have described, only I fear my description doesn't do it justice."

"Elaborate," Jafar asked, his accent music to Hades' ears. He didn't know what it was, it just sounded so unrelentingly evil. It made him feel secure that he was going to dominate the entire cosmos with guys like him. The excitement of his inevitable victory led him to near orgasmic levels of glee.

The Horn King chuckled, or rather the deepest corners of his throat rattled as some filthy, rotten sound exploded from the depths of his dark, black heart. "Well, have you ever heard of the Black Cauldron?"

"Can't say I have," Gaston replied, slowly, rolling each word the King uttered through the depths of his mind.

"I have," Yzma replied, smiling slightly.

"Have you now?" the Horned King chuckled, his moldy teeth unveiled under the shadowy depths of his hood, shade so dense and thick it almost seemed as though, underneath the King's hood was the night's sky, staring forever more into the depths of infinitely bleak eternity.

"Of course! I read of it. A device able to generate great amounts of dark magical power, one that absorbs the souls of the living to power itself, resurrecting the dead to fight, and—but it's such a dark thing! I heard it existed somewhere off beyond the East from where we live, though."

"You must live in the Savage world, then," the Horned King laughed, "It's a shame. The weapon remains in my home world, in the depths of my lair, in the depths of oblivion. It is there where I had met my end, and there where a new beginning shall emerge. I was careless last time, but not this time. This time I shall harness its magic! With the aid, of course, of the Lord of Death."

"Okay, so that's one device. Anything else you guys can think of we can use?" Hades asked.

"The Black Cauldron will suffice," the Horned King laughed, his laugh foul and wicked, a soulless thing that was worthy of damnation.

"No, trust me, it ain't. We need a good twenty dozen weapons and armies just to stand up to the whole Universe. One little soup pot? Oh no. Not enough. We need to nuke these guys from orbit. We need to get over 9000 weapons, okay? Get the picture, mister?"

"I can see where you're coming from," Ursula replied, her husky voice attempting to sound seductive. All it honestly succeeded in doing was making the whole of the room feel rather awkward. "There is King Triton's trident. If we have that in our hands, we'd have complete domination over the seas! Then NOTHING could stand in our way. Of course, so long as Triton has the trident, it'll be a challenge to steal it from him. Still, with some help, I'm sure we could kill him rather easily! HAHAHAHAH!"

"Yeah, well, we got two things. What else?" Hades asked, smirking. All these weapons, all in his control. Imagine: domination over the world with all those weapons in his control. Of course, if there were a couple accidents along the way and the owners of these weapons tragically fell in the line of duty, Hades would have to hold onto said weapons for a little while. Imagine all these utensils, all these powers, under his control! These weaklings wouldn't be able to stand against him. He'd dominate as a God amongst Gods!

"I have a bunch of stuff in my secret lab!" Yzma cackled, her eyes alight.

"So what kinda stuff do ya got there?" Gaston asked, curiously.

"I got a spell that can turn you into a flea!"

There was a moment of silence surrounding the table as the others stared at her, unimpressed. "I can turn you into a flea right now," Jafar replied, "Any spell to prevent that from occurring?"

"Oh, uh, well—" Yzma glanced around, uncertainly, before replying, with a sharp retort, "Of course I do! I have chemicals that can—uh—do things beyond your wildest dreams!"

"Where have I heard that one?" Jafar asked, mildly amused.

"Okay, aside from lame-brain idea there, anyone else have some cool weapons we can use?" Hades asked, mildly concerned.

"I have one," Jafar replied, a grin on his lips, "There is a Genie belonging to an old acquaintance. While he is freed, it is possible we can imprison him yet again. However, I would recommend against attacking him yet to cast a spell on him to return him to servitude just yet: he's powerful, and his friends are just as mighty."

"Are they immortal?" Shan Yu asked, his sinister voice more fearsome than even the Honed King.

"Only the Genie," Jafar replied, "But do not underestimate mortals. It can be a fatal mistake I fear I would—"

"If the enemy is mortal, my army and I will kill it," Shan Yu replied, simply.

"Yeah, you would, wouldn't you?" laughed Gaston, "Let's face facts: you'd never beat me in combat."

"Would I not?" chuckled Shan Yu, unimpressed, "Can you even beat me in a fight, I wonder?"

"I figure I'd slaughter you in one!"

"If this group is simply going to be a forum for your arguing, I simply see no reason to remain here," Scar replied, rubbing his eyebrows with his paw, wearily.

The group was already crumbling? Before his eyes, here it was, shattered already by in-fighting. Hades couldn't afford to have this group fall before they could do anything! He moved his way to Gaston, the boaster, and patted him on the shoulder. "Look, Gasty, let's not let that hothead over there get to ya. You're the best, right?"

"No one can beat Gaston!" Gaston replied, proudly.

"Right! See? Why let that guy get to ya? Your cool, he's not. Got it? Just keep tellin' yourself that when he's buggin' ya, alright?" Hades hated playing peer mediator here, but, judging from the chuckle from Shan Yu's lips, he could understand Hades' motivation for pacifying the loud mouth braggart Gaston.

"Allow me to raise my army, m'lord. I have an entire nation willing to fight for me," Shan Yu replied, "I shall not fail you, Hades."

"Alright, Shan Yu, go ahead and—"

"I'll go with him!" Gaston replied, proudly coming forward.

"Oh really?" Hades replied, unenthusiastically, "I think that I'M the one who gives the orders around here, NOT you. YOU'LL go where I tell YOU to!" Hades' mane of scarlet locks exploded upward, scorching the roof in a sudden array of fiery fury. Ghoulish faces manifested in the flames as Hades glared at that arrogant bastard. How dare he! How dare he tell him what he was going to do! What? Did he think he was in charge or something! Was that it? That arrogant, no good, bastard!

"Maybe I should go as well," Oogie Boogie said, laughing wildly as he approached Gaston's side, "That looks to be an interesting experience!"

"Oogie! I need you to go with Yzma for her secret lab," Hades replied, redirecting the sack toward the old woman, who looked upon the ghoulish grinning ghost with a look of absolute repulsion.

"WHAT! That bone bag? Why did I have to get paired up with him!" Yzma hollored, pounding her foot against the ground as Oogie glanced at her with a look of, to Hades' revulsion, arousal. What, were bags of bugs allowed to find things pleasant to look at too? Was he some sort of sexual predator or something? Hades knew Oogie was big on the vice of greed, but lust as well? What a revolting character!

Hades, having finished that internal monologue, turned to the rest. What to do with these other freaks? "Now what to do now. Oh, lemme thing…Oh! Jaffy, you and Horned King go off for that Cauldron thingy of yours. Oh, and please, bring Scar with you. I trust his judgment more than most of yours." To his relief, none of those three seemed to have any issue with the idea. The three soldiers nodded obediently, Jafar going as far as to bow before Hades, a grin on his lips.

"I see no error in that sound judgment, my Master," Jafar replied, laying the flattery on thick in his sweeping bow.

"Now, you two guys left, Ursula and Hook, you go off to get that trident thingy."

"I told you I'll need more help than that blithering idiot!" Ursula snapped.

"Blithering idiot!" Captain Hook snapped, "You should know that no one in this world has mastery of the seas like me! I am the great Captain Hook! You ought to know that even your villainy pales in comparison to the might of me and my crew! Just let me go to Neverland before we arrive at King Tridon's doorstep, and you'll have a legion of men willing to die for that weapon of yours! And we'd retrieve it without needing you in the least!"

"Hahahaha! I'd love to see you try!"

More infighting! All Hades wanted was just a boardroom filled with like minded villains. Was it possible, even for a second, to get a bunch of villains in a room for more than five second without everyone going for each others' throats? Was it possible! Damn it! How hard was it to get across to these fools that all they were here for was a mutual, great goal! Were they all like that blithering religious fanatic and wanted to see each other die painful deaths?

What was that guy's name again?

#

Judge Claude Frollo stared in morbid fascination at the hell women standing only a dozen meters away, rounding the corner of the green Plutonian shore. It seemed as though they had been walking forever, the two concubines of Satan. Those horrible women, willing to serve Evil so thoroughly. The horned woman had claimed to be the Mistress of all Evil. What a horrid woman, a monster upon the face of Earth, an infectious scab on the underbelly of the Earth that needed to be purged.

If only Frollo had the opportunity to slay her.

Along with the sinners in that room.

As he followed behind the women, too far to hear their discussions amongst themselves, though from what the old man could see they shared no words to one another, Frollo thought he heard the sound of growling in the distance. Of course, that was ridiculous. Growling? The depths of that voice in the distance were so great, such a great sound, the mass of the sound maker must be beyond compare. Surely such a beast to make a sound like that was impossible, even in the Purgatory he found himself in.

As time past, the sound grew louder as the women navigated through the catacombs of Hell. There, in the distance, was a light of some sorts. As the damned souls drifted across the pool of water, Frollo had to detract his gaze from their repulsive visages. They were, for all intents and purposes, repulsive monsters. The damned souls he had perhaps sent to their early graves. He was grateful to see so many souls going through attrition; perhaps other had learned from his example to exterminate the cockroaches in society.

That sound was massive.

"The beast is here," Frollo heard Maleficent say in the distance. Frollo gazed ahead, only to feel the ground tremble beneath his feet, as though some massive fiend, some massive beast, was lumbering toward them. And, upon cue, to the absolute horror of Frollo, the beast rounded the corner, and emerged before them, standing on both shores of the river of death.

Frollo's eyes could barely take in the massive beast, a demonic hound of hell so fearsome that even he could not comprehend its ultimate nightmarish form. With raven hair sprouting from its skin, short and not thick, the nightmarish demon had three heads sprouting from his shoulders, each one with a pair of fearsome scarlet eyes that stared into the depths of Frollo's soul. He could swear the beast could literally stare into the depths of his unbridled terror, able to witness the nightmarish thoughts coming to mind as he stared at this beast. Was this the Devil himself? Evil in the flesh? He had read about a beast in the Greek myths with three heads.

The hound of hell: Cerberus.

The Mistress of all Evil stared down at the beast, taking a step forward, her harsh wicked voice echoing through the hollow chambers of their dominion. "Foolish monster! Get out of our way, or so be it, I will need to tear you to pieces and feed you to the demons of the Pits." Cerberus, in response, released the sounds of infinite terror and soul wrenching fear from the pits of its lungs, roaring straight into Maleficent's face. The Queen, her eyes betraying her fear, pulled her arms out in front of her, blocking the onslaught of wind exploding from the dog's mouth. Maleficent, however, stood firm, unaffected by the winds despite her dress dancing in the wind behind her, her horns bobbing behind her as though pushed backward by the force of the hound's deep bellow.

"Irritating."

Maleficent extended her staff effortlessly against the winds exploding from Cerberus's mouth. As Frollo watched, his own attire being pulled by the hurricane exploding from the dog's mouth, a great bolt of emerald energy exploded from the orb, flames of Hell surging into the mouth of the hell hound, undisturbed by the onslaught of wind. It surged into his mouth, and, to Frollo's astonishment, exploded from every orifice of the beast. The force of the blast propelled the dog against the opposite wall, his mass sliding down the wall, as Maleficent chuckled. Frollo pursued behind them, hiding stealthily behind the wall as he watched the hound of Hel rise up, shaking off the pain, and turning toward Maleficent, furious and full of hatred.

The horned witch turned as the foolish hound stepped into the lake, lunging toward the sorcerer. Maleficent spun on her feet, extending her staff as a bolt of emerald energy surged up the side of the beast's ribs. Blood exploded from its torn side as the dog shrieked in pain, stomping against the shore under Maleficent. The ground literally collapsed below her. Frollo watched as the Queen scurried away, and Frollo too found himself running forward, over the ground as it collapsed under his feet. He found himself scrambling past the Queen, darting past him. The witch from Hell, however, stood her ground, and, to Frollo's astonishment, the rocks under her feet remained in the air, levitated under her as the platform drifted toward the hell hound. That woman was willing to fight off Cerberus, unwittingly allowing Frollo to escape with his life.

The Queen, however, caught sight of the Judge.

The hate in her eye told him he wasn't free yet.

The Queen neared Frollo, hatred in her eyes as Maleficent fired blast after blast from her emerald orb, each blast forcing Cerberus deeper and deeper into the stone walls of Hell. The Queen, however, stared at Frollo with the cruelest of eyes, a harsh gaze that told the man one word only: hatred. The vile woman deserved nothing short of death! After all, the Queen knew that Frollo was going to kill her anyway, so no doubt she would fight to the death to ensure that the Judge did not take her life first.

For that insubordination to God, she deserved to rot in the pit she was fleeing from.

Cerberus behind them lunged for Maleficent. The witch leapt backward, avoiding the sharp teeth of the monster. They dug into the ground that Maleficent had kept levitated in the air. While the one head chewed on the bedrock, the other two lunged toward the witch, who now stood against the wall, defying gravity itself as she spun around, her staff generating sparks of green that repelled the dog of hell. The stone in the beast's middle head, however, exploded into a great inferno, scorching the central mouth as the dog screamed in pain, flames flying in all directions as blood oozed from the ripped gums and tongue.

The evil Queen glanced side to side lazily for a weapon, her eye catching a sword embedded in the stone. She reached for it hastily, and drew it from the rock, holding it out before the defenseless Frollo. His eyes widened as the youthful queen lunged forward, slashing harshly through the air. The old man stumbled back, avoiding the tip of the blade as the evil Queen raised her saber again, holding the point toward the ground as she prepared to stab the Earth.

As she stabbed down, Cerberus tacked toward Maleficent, pinning her against the wall, the shore shaking. Frollo watched in terror as the Queen's aim was thrown off. Her sword plunged straight into the stone inches from Frollo's unprotected ear! His eyes widened in terror as the woman struggled to pull the sword from the stone. However, with a sharp kick to her lower abdomen, Frollo threw the Queen to the wayside. She stumbled to a halt as Frollo rose to his feet, and with a wicked glint in his eye, withdrew the blade from the floor, and raised it above his head.

Unlike her, he knew how to hold a blade. In France, it was almost a recreational activity to know how to swing a blade. After all, how could he be able to maintain the peace if he didn't know how to sever the heads of the sinful from their shoulders? He grinned at the Evil Queen as he darted forward, blade raised over his shoulder, as the woman drew back, her eyes filled with fear. The first swing tore straight her chest, across her breast. Blood peppered the ground as she stumbled backward. She placed a hand to her chest, her eyes filled with horror. She stared at her bloodsoaked hand as she struggled to breath, the blood literally bubbling in her injury.

Frollo raised his blood soaked sword above his shoulder yet again as Maleficent summoned an array of sparks, the bolts enveloping the massive paws of Cerberus, fire springing to life amongst the field of hair on his skin. The hound of Hell howled in pain as he dragged the paw holding Maleficent down along the wall, the beast's claw literally piercing through her stomach as she was pulled down toward the sea of the dead. Frollo could see blood erupting from the woman's mouth as Cerberus howled in pain.

Frollo was about to stab down, but rather smiled. Surely she deserved a more karmatic death for her unknown sins. Surely she deserved to be a good chew toy for the hell hound. Grinning, Frollo pulled the Evil Queen up by her hair, holding her up before the dog. "Damned hounds from the pit! Here's your new victim!" Frollo shouted, kicking the little of the Queen's back as she stumbled forward, collapsing against the ground as she bled heavily from her injuries, her scarlet life fluid seeping through the cracks in the ground, falling down into the pits of the dead like a waterfall.

Cerberus released his grip on Maleficent, letting her emerald body slink into the sea of the Death, the hands grasping her appendages, as she turned toward the Queen. Her eyes were wide with terror as Cerberus sniffed her body, before opening his great jaws, jaws wreaking like rotting flesh, as his burning body lunged downward, ensnaring her cruel body in its jaws. It's three heads fought amongst themselves as they tore the woman's body to shreds, the sound of bones splintering and tearing music to Frollo's ears.

The sinful all burn one day, and in the Queen's case, she was to burn in the jaws of the flaming hounds of Hell. Frollo left the occupied dog to his prey, smiling as he walked toward the gates beyond the Underworld. There they stood, a pair of iron gates, closed over but not locked. It was as though it was there to allow him to return to his home of Paris. Although the screaming had long since stopped, the sounds of tearing flesh echoed through the chamber, telling Frollo every step of the way he had nothing to fear from the hound of hell.

"Hold your feet, wicked devil!"

Frollo's blood ran cold in his veins as he turned at the sound of that strained voice. There, rising from the sea, souls clinging to her body only to fall to the depths of oblivion once more, levitated the monstrous form of Maleficent, her bloodstained dress dangling over the sea of the damned, her staff pointed directly at the righteous judge's chest. "I know not what horrid nation you dwell in, but only that your ruthless heart is one that repulses even me, the Mistress of all—ARGH!"

Frollo tired of the sinner's babble.

The sword he had thrown through her chest ought to end her proud boasting.

The blade threw Maleficent's body against the wall behind her, pinning her to the wall. She remained forced against the stone surface as Cerebus completed his meal. His burning mass turned its attention toward Maleficent and Frollo, its fearsome scarlet eyes sending nightmares into the eternity of the Judge's nightmares. Frollo backed away from the best, nearing the gates of infinity, pushing them slowly apart behind him as he held the sword out, the blade trembling in his hands.

"Now, attack her, Cerberus. Attack the witch! She was attacking you before, wasn't she? She was trying to hurt you!" Frollo stammered, his eyes wide with terror as he passed through the threshold. The hound of hell regarded him for a moment before turning toward Maleficent, beaten prey. As Frollo passed through the threshold, he watched as Maleficent grinned, slightly, extending her staff into the hound of hell's mouth just as the beast lunged toward her. To Frollo's horror, there was a loud crack, and, from within the beast's stomach, something lurched outward, pressing against his ribs. The Judge felt the light of reality twirl around him as a multitude of hands pulled him back, away from the Underworld. However, just before reality settled in around him, he saw Cerberus's innards thrown outside of his body as he was eviscerated from the inside out by the might of Maleficent's black spell, a cloud of emerald fire consuming the remains of the once proud guardian of the Underworld.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

"Come with me, slaves to the dark," the Horned King whispered in a voice harsher than the darkest whisper. There, before Jafar stood a man decaying from within, a fiend who knew no equal in pure vile nature. He was a monster, a God of evil. What a man to look at, to gaze at so reverently, in such an unholy land as this deteriorated, decimated landscape. The crumbling castle that surrounded them bore little in common with the lofty chambers of the Underworld. Or, to be more accurate, wasn't nearly as cheerful looking.

Hades had simply poofed them here. There was no magical portal, nor was there any sort of ritualistic spell. The God of Death simply snapped his fingers, and, in a cloud of smoke, the world had dematerialized, colors blending with one another as the world spiraled around them as they remained quite still. However, the spinning, though mildly disorienting, had ended as soon as it had begun as they emerged in this dark corridor filled with shadows.

Looked home sweet home to a demon like the Horned King.

"If you follow me, we'll reach the Cauldron in a matter of moments," the Horned King said, progressing down the catacombs of their deteriorating lair. The bricks, Jafar noticed as he walked forward, were cracked and covered in moss, filthy stones that were, for all intents and purposes, unfit for any sort of castle, even a demon such as the Horned King. Yet Jafar remained silent, not making his distaste for the castle known, not making it known that he could just summon the cauldron in a heartbeat by the might of his magic (he didn't want to irritate the man; such a foolish mistake could prove fatal).

"This place is a disgusting place," Scar grumbled, his voice drawling in a way that sent a slight chill up Jafar's spine, not out of fear of Scar, but fear of the stupidity behind his words. What sort of idiot would just say that out loud in front of a man who probably had no qualms about attacking them. Although Jafar had no doubt he'd slaughter the King in a heartbeat, he did fear that, in the conflict, the Cauldron might be destroyed, and, judging by the way the King referred to that mighty weapon, it would prove rather useful to Jafar's eventual ends rather nicely.

"The castle's state is none of your concern, lion," the Horned King replied, his harsh whisper of a voice haunting and inhuman, "Concern yourself with managing the Cauldron, and that alone. Nothing else can concern you now."

"I don't see why we couldn't just summon the cauldron here. We surely don't need to walk down there in the depths of that filthy place, do we?" Scar droned, his eyes lazily glancing down at the pits of the basement, clearly filled with repulsion toward the depths to which they needed to sink to ensnare that glorious weapon. Surely that mammalian fool would just silence his words now before they invoked the King's wrath, whatever that wrath might be. Jafar did not want to instigate a riot YET. Not yet, anyway. These souls still had a use to him, after all. He didn't want to kill them all just yet.

That was a job for later, after all.

"The Cauldron cannot be touched by the genie's magic," the Horned King replied, "I am unsure what his power could do to it. If his spells touch it, it could, potentially, unleash its full power right here and now. If that happens, well, we'd be unleashing Hell upon the world. I'd rather not test it's power until we're close enough to control it better. From this distance, by the time we reach it, the Cauldron may very well be far beyond our control."

"I see your point," Scar replied, "Better safe than sorry. Very well, let us proceed. The faster we get this garbage done with the better."

Thus the trio proceeded deeper into the heart of the castle. Insects and arachnids crawled with legs that prickled and poked the stone walls, maggots swarming in the decaying skulls of fallen warriors in the corner, squiggling and squirming around as they writhed over one another, twisting and knotting around one another. If Jafar were not an eternal Genie, he'd be reminded of his own mortality. However, in this state, resurrected without a lamp to bind him, he no longer needed to fear death.

Not anymore.

Finally, they reached a large, vaulted chamber. Surprisingly, this room was unharmed, filled with polished pewter stones that surrounded a rather large chamber. The Horned King chuckled as he neared the center of the room, where a large black cauldron rested on a rather beautifully arranged alter. The room seemed almost to be well-kept, despite the overwhelming evidence that the rest of the castle had been left to rot. Why then would this one chamber be held in so high esteem? And why was it that Jafar felt so strongly that even the Horned King had no idea why this room was so well maintained.

"I smelt the odor of cruelty in this room, and yet I could not imagine that it would be here in such high quality!" the Horned King snarled, his rotted hands extended toward the cauldron, stroking its sides with reverence and love.

"Alright, we have it now. Let's go!" Scar replied, irritated.

"Not yet!" the Horned King shrieked, his cackle of a voice echoing throughout the chamber as his glowing scarlet eyes glared at both Scar and Jafar, a mad glint in them, as though the Cauldron had reached out and possessed the monster with the power infested inside of it. "We need to test it! We need to unleash the armies of the dead and lay this world to waste!"

"What would that succeed in doing?" Jafar replied, irate. There wasn't any time for this nonsense when that Street Rat was still on the lose. They couldn't waste time laying waste to this world when they had another universe to annihilate at that very instant. No matter how evil those eyes of that monster's were, that didn't mean Jafar couldn't overpower him in a second if it became necessary.

"Should we not see if it works correctly?" the Horned King asked, his horse whisper filled with a desperation, a longing, for the destruction held within the instrument to be unleashed, released upon the universe they resided in, raising the dead from their graves to annihilate everything. "If we were to return to Hades without this weapon surely working, then, without a doubt, it would be a trip wasted!"

"This is most irritating! Jafar, I'm sure you've heard enough of this nonsense! Let's go," Scar replied, turning on his tail.

"The Horned King does have a point," Jafar replied, smiling a smile so sickening that no doubt all mortals souls around them would feel the tissue in their hearts shiver once before freezing entirely, "We can activate the Cauldron now with my magic. Horned King, manage the thing, as I'm sure you know how to do so if you're so experienced with that thing."

"You surely are not going through with this whole ordeal, are you?" Scar laughed, "How foolish! That's the stupidest thing I've heard out of all of you."

"What do we need to activate it?" Jafar asked, curiously.

The Horned King chuckled, glancing at the others with a look of pure, unrelenting malice, and yet his lips were curled into the sickest of smiles, a grin more akin to the Devil's angel of suffering. "Well, all it requires is a soul sacrifice."

"A soul, you say?" Jafar asked, laughing, "I can take one of those rather effortlessly, no, I can feed it thousands in a heartbeat if you wish."

"Not enough time to gather them."

"You truly do underestimate my power, don't you?" Jafar snapped his fingers. In a sudden puff of smoke, the room was filled with people, all wearing simple plain tunics, the mass of them with wide eyes, confused eyes, terrified eyes. The three masters of evil watched the several dozen hostages in the room, Scar circling around them, a hungry expression on his face, as he picked out the weakest of the group, salivating almost. The Horned King's expression was equally hungry, but for a far different reason. With a second snap of the fingers, ropes and chains emerged from nothing, snaking around the mortals' wrists, ankles, torsos, and throats as they were pulled above the ground, helplessly writhing above their heads. With a chuckle, Jafar turned away, laughing as he spoke to the others. "Take your pick of them, you two. Enjoy all the souls you can harness."

#

"So when does this army of yours start fighting?" Gaston asked Shan Yu, a bored expression on his face, glancing over at the mass of soldiers as they hacked and slashed at each other, sparring violently and intensely. Blood rested in pools under the mass of warriors as they traded blows with one another, beating each other to bloody pulps on the friendly fire battlefield around them. This world, a world of trading harmless blows, was so damn boring! Gaston had seen no action all day long, all week long, in this universe. He wondered if time in the Underworld traveled at a different rate than in this world, or perhaps if time traveled at different rates in all the worlds. He prayed little time had passed elsewhere. He didn't want to miss on any of the girl-gaining action Hades had alluded to.

Shan Yu turned toward Gaston, an expression of malice spreading across his face for an instant before it relaxed, a slight smile on his morbid lips. "The soldiers are preparing for battle now."

"By beating each other up? Where I come from, they're supposed to do that to the other side."

"How else to deal with pain by dealing pain upon each other?"

"That's a stupid way to train! You can really injure these soldiers, and then what? All they'll do is just limp onto the battle field like a bunch of weak dandilions! Besides, where're the real weapons here?"

Shan Yu chuckled before he reached toward the hilt at his side, drawing forth his wrinkled, crooked, wavy blade. He held it out to directly below Gaston's large chin, and the man couldn't deny the sense of terror. He was an inch away from death, this man right there, ready to sever his jugular. Any ordinary man would've passed out from fear by now, and even a mighty soul such as Gaston had trouble holding himself back. However, that was not to say he wasn't brave enough to chuckle.

"What're you gonna do? Kill me? I could kill you in a heart beat if I wanted to."

"Big words for a man who doesn't bother training with the crowd."

"I don't want to lower my standards is all."

"I see. I happen to agree with that."

Shan Yu lowered his blade, placing it back in its scabbard as he turned to face the mass of soldiers, a crooked grin on his lips. He turned toward his lieutenant, and said, with a glint in his dark eyes, "Tomorrow we invade China."

"Invade China? What about Hades and—?"

"It would be a good test to see which of my men can handle fighting Gods. If they can defeat the Chinese army, they can defeat the might of Heaven. Besides, I have a score to settle."

"A score? Are you risking this entire operation on a personal vendetta!" Gaston couldn't believe this garbage. Was this that whole honor thing he had heard these Chinamen held in such high regard? Stupid man! When was he going to wake up and realize that settling debts like this was a stupid way to go when there was more to prove! He could go out and dominate the universe instead of focusing on revenge like this. To do that, to just focus so thoroughly on an agenda like that was stupid! He didn't want to kill the Beast for throwing him to his death. He wasn't foolish enough to go kill that man until he had something big enough to blow that man's brains out.

Besides, he had already lost Belle, so why bother trying to continue that crusade?

He had been introduced to an entire universe of beauties now.

There were better wives to find than the bookworm.

"You will follow through with this, Gaston. If not, I'm afraid I'll need to report to Hades that you died ingloriously in battle," Shan Yu replied, "After all, no one cries like Gaston, nor does anyone die like Gaston."

"You bastard!" Gaston wanted to say, but rather held himself back. He wanted to beat that man to a bloody pulp, but held himself back so that all his hatred was focused into his clenched fingers, squeezing into his palm as his veins bulged outward. He wanted to shoot him then and there, but now was not the best time. He shot Shan Yu now, his entire mob would and gang up on him. If Shan Yu was so insistent on settling a score, Gaston should let him. Or at least let him try.

Perhaps, he'd be too distracted by vengeance to watch his back during that one crucial second.

Perhaps he'd be too distracted to see the bullet coming before it pierced his heart.

Perhaps he'd be too distracted to avoid dying.

#

"What in God's name is this place?"

Claude Frollo wandered around the abandoned square as he glanced each and every way, confused by his surroundings. The world he had found himself in was most peculiar, a rather odd and unusual environment. He had always suspected that the slums of Paris were filthy and rotten, but this seemed to reside even below that filthy point in the spectrum of the world. There were people from the Dark Continent wandering the streets, dressed in casual clothing, with no one noticing the filth and rabble wandering around them.

Did no one have the decency to erase them from the world like those Gypsies?

"What sort of hell is this place?" Frollo asked himself, wandering around as people paraded down the street in rather elaborate costumes of a ridiculous, unholy sort. He saw parodies of God and royalty, Kings drinking down kegs of what appeared to be alcohol, people dressed up as donkeys or fish, or, in one grotesque instance, a man dressed as a crocodile playing a trumpet. Although Frollo was repulsed by the sight, that particular costume was of high quality. He couldn't even see the seams of the body, and, if he didn't know better, he'd say the man was indeed a crocodile.

But a crocodile playing the trumpet? Such an absurd concept.

Frollo noticed the scent of food wafting from the doors behind the crocodile, and, acknowledging his own hunger, he neared the restaurant, well aware of his lack of funds, if only to see what sort of raunchy, grotesque practices occurred in this filthy Sodom and Gomorrah. There, to his utmost disgust, were people from the Dark Continent and other walks of life, including the superior races, eating alongside one another, without any conflicts, as though this were a healthy, ordinary practice!

How filthy!

"Sir, that is a terrific costume you have there," one of the black female asked. She was a sweaty woman, no doubt hard at some sort of unholy labor she indulged in from the Devil's bidding. She was dressed in what appeared to be a Princess costume, which, as she wore it, was an unholy parody of culture. He wanted nothing more than to grab the nearest whip and beat her until she regressed to the practice of his forefathers: slave labor.

"What is this place?" Frollo asked.

"What? Uh, sir, this is New Orleans," the woman replied in an odd accent, "Are you alright sir? You look a lil' pale."

"New Or—How can I get to Paris?" he asked, hastily.

"Well, ya could take a plane over, but that could take time—"

"What is a plane?" Frollo demanded, frustrated.

There was a slight pause between the two. The woman stared at him as though he had just declared that he had witnessed a fifty-headed beast with purple pea soup for skin waltzing with Jesus down the street. "Uh, sir, I think you've had a little too much to drink." She extended her hands, her filthy black hands, toward Frollo, at which he recoiled. "Why don't you just sit down and—"

"I need transport to Paris immediately. Upon arrival you shall be paid properly. I am, after all, Judge—"

"Naveen! We've got another drunkard! Bring a chair!" the black woman shouted.

"What? This is absurd mistreatment! Upon arriving back in—"

At that moment, a man of rather odd heritage (most likely from the Dark Continent too) emerged, dressed much like a Prince, another odd parody of one if Frollo had ever seen one. This Festival of Fools seemed to grow more and more wretched with the arrival of each new character. The man, however, glanced at Frollo with an odd expression on his face. "Uh, I don't mean to be rude, but he doesn't look drunk, Tiana."

"Whaddya mean?" the black woman, whose name was Tiana, replied.

"He looks a little disoriented, but not drunk. Maybe someone pulled a bad prank on him and he's mixed up?"

"I am not 'mixed up'! Return me to Paris immediately, or this infernal town shall burn in Hellfire!" Frollo snapped, stamping his foot in furious frustration.

"Now, look here sir! Language like that will get you no where here."

"Language? You have heard nothing yet, you black—"

"Racism is also not to be tolerated here," the man named Naveen grumbled, rolling up his sleeves as he clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. The woman, Tiana, however, put her hands up against his chest, holding him back.

"Look, this guy really isn't in a right frame of mind. We need to just set him down. Would you like something to eat?"

Frollo was about to damn her, but soon realized that he could reap the benefits of these infidels at the moment, and persecute them later. There was plenty of time, and, if he came across a good blade to slay the duo, he'd be free of them forever more. A smile crossed his lips for an instant, which the male found utterly revolting judging by his body language, stiff, on edge, his eyes furious. The girl, while nervous, seemed to be somewhat more respectful to such authority, and beckoned him in the restaurant, where unorthodox music played from unorthodox instruments. This rabble was painful to Frollo's ears as inappropriate displays emerged on the stage.

This place truly was a modern day Sodom and Gomorra, was it not?

#

The first thing Maleficent realized upon opening her eyes was that the pain in her body from where Cerebus had pierced her flesh had dissolved into nothingness. Slowly, she rose to a sitting position, staring forward in front of her as she ran a hand over her face. Her black attire was fully prepared yet again, draped alongside her body as though it had always been there, her headgear almost untouched. She felt as though someone had been inside of her torn open orifice that had been in her torso, and yet, despite running her fingers over where she had been stabbed, she felt nothing, no gashes, no hole, not even a torn thread in her outfit.

She glanced off to the side, examining her surroundings. There, around her, were many mechanisms of an odd and curious nature. It was strange, as she had never seen equipment quite like this before. There were devices made of metal and other strange hard compounds, devices that resembled mirrors yet did not show her reflections, but rather squiggly lines, words and characters unfamiliar to her, and other strange visuals, including the room from the perspective of several nonexistent people drifting along the ceiling and floor. She glanced around, tearing tubes connected to small circular pads from her body. The squiggly lines suddenly went flat, and a loud beep filled the air, but Maleficent cared little for that.

"Oh, so you're awake."

That voice rang from all around her, as though the speaker had emerged from her left, from her right, and from above her—no, behind her! All over! And yet she could hear his voice, not simply hearing telekinetic messages or some sort of spell in her brain. She looked around, only to several small boxes where sound emerged. The speakers all around her spoke once more. "I understand this is a difficult experience for you. When we found you, well, to say you were beaten up is sort of an understatement. You've been asleep here for the past few days, but in the Underworld I'm sure only a few moments have passed. How're you feeling, Maleficent?"

"Where are you?" Maleficent asked, glancing around to see if the true speaker was in the room with her, laughing at her confusion. Where was that man? It was a male speaker, that's for sure. A deep voice, baritone, smooth and sophisticated, almost charming. She didn't want to kill him, but she needed to find her benefactor so she could size him up, understand whose power she was under.

All at once the room filled with brilliant light as the monitors all seemed to move away as large metallic arms dragged them aside. There, in front of her, was a desk, with a man who was nothing more than a shadow to her, the lights positioned over his head in such a way it was impossible to see his face. His silk suit, however, was visible to Maleficent's eyes, but nothing more. "Here I sit. No surprises here, no secrets from you, Mistress of all Evil. That is the title you use to refer to yourself, right? Mistress of all Evil? In this world, you see, you're kind of less of a real person and more of a legend."

"This world?"

"Yes. You have become part of a larger universe, one could say, and you can thank Hades for bringing you into it, and me for guiding you to where you can rule everything."

"Rule? And tell me why I'd want to rule at all?"

"Well, it's simple: you can have dominion over someone else, expand that dark kingdom of yours to new worlds, what have you. Or, you know, I could return you to your old world."

"Do so now if you wish to hold onto your life!" Maleficent snapped, extending her hand as her staff emerged in a surge of emerald flame. The man, however, neither flinched or even responded. If anything, judging by the amused chuckle in his throat, he found the display just as pitiful as a Yorkshire terrier barking at a Great Dane.

"You can blow me up if you want, but I don't think you know how to operate any of these mechanisms. This room, and the rest of the building, is set to self-destruct with enough force to overwhelm an entire city. It'll happen so quickly that even your magic wouldn't teleport you away fast enough, and you'll die. Both of us dead doesn't help either of us. I know you aren't stupid enough to do something reckless like that, believe me."

Maleficent considered his words carefully. The man was entirely correct. If his words were not a bluff and were in actuality the truth, killing him would be a rather bad decision. Even moreso, if the bombs were a fabrication, the aspect about being unable to control his technology was equally true. This was not Maleficent's world, and, as such, she knew that her magic could not punch holes through reality. She was at his mercy. She lowered her staff, allowing it to function as a walking stick once more, as she glared at the man, loathing him for putting her at his mercy.

"Thank you for understanding. Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here. I could've killed you if I truly wanted to, and yet you're still alive. Why is that, you may ask. Well, I require your aid in order to take care of a hostile take over bid of the celestial spheres. The spheres that Hades alluded to when he dragged you out of the River Styx, anyway. However, I am but a mortal man. A genius, but mortal nonetheless. You, however, are a Goddess, a perfect human being."

"Flattery is endearing, but not enough to sway me to your side. What do you have to offer that Hades could not?"

"Me? I offer you leadership," the man replied, chuckling, "I am entirely at your mercy."

Leadership? Power over him? Dominion? She remembered how Hades had insisted on dominating them all, on running them to his ends. This man was offering to surrender leadership to her. With a smile on her lips, Maleficent realized the full extents of what he had just said. He was saying that Maleficent could effectively dominate him, use all his resources to reach her ends. She thought of all those vile men whom Hades had assembled. No doubt they could turn against her, kill her. They would, wouldn't they? Surely it would be better to kill them all first.

With a grin on her lips, Maleficent replied, "Tempting offer. I accept for now."

"Good."

"However, I want to see your face first, my benefactor. And your name."

The man chuckled as he rose to his feet, his face revealed in the heavenly light descending down upon his face. His brown locks, tied into a ponytail, danced behind him as his bearded face twisted into a triumphant, yet charismatic, grin that would've tempted any ordinary woman disinterested in domination, much unlike the domination-focused Maleficent. With a twist of his head, a smile on his lips, he said, a glint in his eyes that unveiled his restrained jubilation, "My name is David Xanatos."


	4. Chapter 4

**PART 4**

"Geez Louis, will ya look at that," Hades laughed to his two imps at his side, staring at the great vortex before him. Granted, he was the Lord of Death and all that jazz, but even he had some limits. Watching Jafar summon legions of humans to be liquefied before his eyes was the zenith of screwed up imagery. It took the cake, easily. Before, all these guys probably would've been just smoozying at home, sitting, making out, doing whatever it was families did, but now, thanks to one ruthless villain, they were being sacrificed to a super weapon that was gonna bring Hades closer to his ultimate goals! Granted, he'd never do that to a human being quite like this, simply because there was no need necessarily for that sort of creative murder scheme, but he was glad these guys were on his side.

"They aren't gonna be happy when they get outta there," Panic stammered, staring down into the vortex as people's flesh melted off their bones, leaving smoldering, crumbling ebony marrow in their place.

"They ain't getting out," Hades laughed, "Simple as that."

"Yeah, well, they are dead," Pain laughed, nervously.

"Not necessarily," Hades chuckled, glancing at the gateway to the underworld, which he kept tabs on constantly, "Notice any new influx of arrivals?"

"Well-"

"Moreso than usual?"

"No, not really."

"Simple reason for that: their souls aren't comin' down our pipes," Hades said with a wicked chuckle, "They're heading straight down into the Cauldron. They stay there until the Cauldron deactivates, too, but even then, the body's reduced to sub-atomic particles. Even a God would-that's it! That's the ticket!" Hades cackled loudly to himself as he punched through the air, his flaming body exploding to life as great serpents of joy soared from his body, composed entirely of azure fire. That was the answer. It all was coming together now. The ticket to beating Zeus himself was right in front of him, right in his hands, or at least it would soon be. "That Cauldron's the key to victory. Slimy wasn't lying. That's really all we need. Sure, a few defenses won't hurt, but if we get all the weapons in line, well, we're gonna be huge."

"How huge is huge?" Panic asked, anxiously.

"Like, huge! Cosmos? Ours. No problem. Multiversial domination? In grasp. Do I need t' spell it out for you? We're gonna rule!"

"What about everyone else?" Pain asked, curiously.

"Oh, I'll give them delegation positions or whatever," Hades replied, "But, naturally, since I am the strongest villain, I'll naturally be the one in charge, comprende?"

"But what about that Jafar guy? He's pretty strong." Pain did have a point. Jafar had wished for absolute power, and received it. Since his lamp had melted away into a puddle of darkness, there was no way to contain him any longer. Regardless, Hades would find a way to control him, especially if he tried to back stab everyone. He doubted he would, since he seemed like a reasonable sort of guy, but even so, maybe he should try to be a bit more cautious about this sort of stuff. Maybe he could offer him a second-in-command position for charging the Cauldron? Maybe, just maybe.

It was a possibility.

"What about that freaky old guy?" Panic croaked.

"What? The smelly French guy? C'mon, really? He's not an issue to us," Hades laughed, "Ya really think we're gonna need to worry about someone like him? No, he doesn't have any powers, no accomplices, or anything like that. Why'd we need to worry about that guy? No, if anyone, worry about that Maleficent chick."

"Who?"

"The lady with the horns."

"Oh, her," Panic replied, "Yeah, uh, I think she left."

"WHAT! LEFT!" Hades shrieked, flames exploding from his body as he turned on his heel toward his two minions, "WHADDYA MEAN SHE LEFT? YOU CAN'T LEAVE THE UNDERWORLD!"

"Apparently she did, sir," Pain replied as Panic hid behind a rock, his entire green form trembling from head to foot, "And, uh, she killed Cerberus."

"Killed?" Hades repeated, eyes widening. His three-headed dog was nigh invincible. The only one to ever pacify the beast was himself and Hercules, and Hercules didn't even kill him so much as make him do what he wanted. But to kill the hound of hell himself? The Guardian of the Underworld? Maleficent wasn't quite as weak of a foe as he had suspected. Sure, he didn't think he was underestimating her, but clearly he had. Maleficent might very well be a bigger threat to his plan than even the mightiest of his accomplices.

#

"So, Maleficent, I hope you don't mind, but, even as being subservient to you, I did take the liberty of arranging a few things for your arrival," Xanatos said, turning toward the recently healed sorceress with a look of fake reverence. What a beautiful woman, though not the first Goddess he'd set eyes on that could easily kill him that he was deceiving. A woman like her was rather easy to deceive if you knew how. All she wanted was to dominate someone, to invoke fear to make herself feel stronger. Call it low self-confidence or even an ego problem, but, regardless, Maleficent, when under the belief he feared and respected her, was putty in Xanatos's hands.

"Arranged things? Such as…?"

Xanatos withdrew a remote control, and, upon pressing a button, several spotlights came to life, focusing on a curtain to the distance. Maleficent's attention was drawn to that location, as, with a second press of the buttons, the curtains drew away, revealing five figures. Five villains it took a lot of effort to collect. With a grin, Xanatos approached each one, and presented them to Maleficent. "These are your henchmen, we'll say, five fiends with goals that are congruent with our owns, and should help bring you the dominance you so long for. Let's take this fine gentlemen right here." Xanatos gestured toward a dark skinned figure, a dark, snazzy suit draped around his slender frame, his purple vest pulled over his muscular abs, revealing his navel as he took a few steps forward, a grin on his lips, a sinister little grin that gave Xanatos a sort of charge of amusement.

"And who may you be?" Maleficent asked, curiously.

The dark skinned man's mustached lip curled as he approached the woman, twirling around the long, globe-tipped cane through the air over his shoulder as he took Maleficent's hands, kissing it in a charismatic, almost romantic manor, before glancing up with an off-handed, amused glint in his eyes, clearly a showman of the highest class. "How y'all doin'? I'm Dr. Facilier, at your service."

"I see. And what is it that you do, exactly?" Maleficent asked, curiously.

The Voodoo man chuckled, smirking as he withdrew a single card from his pocket, before spreading out the single card in a full deck of 52. "Pick a card," Dr. Facilier requested, a grin on his lips. Maleficent did so, only for the card to literally morph into a mirror, only to shatter, great gusts of smoke rising from the fragments. Maleficent even jumped back in sudden shock for an instant as Dr. Facilier cackled in amusement. "Sorry, sugar. Couldn' resist that. Good for a laugh or two."

"I see," Maleficent asked, unimpressed, "So who's this?" Maleficent pointed toward an old woman, stout and short, with gray hair that stuck out like a mop on top of her head.

The woman cackled in amusement, dancing into the air as her hair spread out into the air. Her cackling echoed through the chambers, leading her ears bloody on the inside as she stared at this frustrating oaf. The figure of the witch laughed as she shrieked, "I'm the magnificent, morbidly, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad Madame Mim!" She laughed hysterically as she danced through the air, all but bouncing off the walls as Maleficent watched, cold and calculated, before glancing at Xanatos. The man was almost embarrassed by her behavior.

"Look, she may be nuttier than a nuthouse on ecstasy, but at least she gets the job done," Xanatos replied, "Worst case, she'll make a good Red Shirt."

"A what?"

"Don't worry."

The next one was the Big Bad Wolf, who merely grinned sheepishly. Maleficent took one glance at this huge, anthromorphic wolf, regarded him for a moment, before walking away, shaking her head in irritation. "Okay, next-why's there a rat here?"

The rat on the ground, garbed in a suit, at the sound of the word rat cringed, glaring up at the woman before him, a look of fury in his eyes. "RAT! I am not a rat! Who dared to call me a rat!"

"Don't mind Ratigan, Maleficent," Xanatos replied, "In regards to strategems, he's a master."

At the sound of being called a master, the rat subsided, grinning pleased as he interlocked his fingers, pleased at this turn of events, as he chuckled, lowering his top hat over his head. "Ah, at least someone respects my clear, infinite genius. I give you kudos, good sir." He chuckled giddily to himself as Maleficent and Xanatos turned toward the taller, more threatening figure to his side. He was a fall figure, wrapped in swaddling robes, his head hooded as his dark locks of hair fell over his angular, almost angelic face. His dark eyes stared forward, a note of pure psychopathic evil in his irises. It was unrestrained evil, an evil glint that sent a chill up Maleficent's spine, a pleased, foul chill.

"And who might you be?"

"I am Mozenrath," The boy was grinning with a dark sort of smile, the smile reserved for demons and the darkest of killers. Maleficent grinned upon locking eyes with this man, chuckling to herself. Xanatos, upon glancing at his unknowing slave, smirked an even broader grin, his goatee twisting around his lips. This was the hardest minion to pluck out to aid him. Xanatos remembered recruiting each and every single one of these men. While Madame Mim and the Big Bad Wolf had been easy to recruit, simply by a few declarations of things to ruin tempting them to his side, Mozenrath had the hardest to recruit. Considering one of his allies needed to be brought back from the mousey grave and the other from the foulest pits of Voodoo Hell, this was saying something.

The reason Mozenrath was such a chore to recruit was because, truthfully, Xanatos was afraid of him.

The others were easily manipulated, but Mozenrath was one of those monsters whose wickedness was truly motivated by nothing other than the sheer pleasure of sinning. The fear of being slaughtered in his sleep just so Mozenrath could gain access to all his technology. It took Xanatos several plans and such to allow him to manipulate him. What all his plans came down to was a deceptively obvious solution, that Xanatos at first doubted would work, but, in the end, proved to be what won Mozenrath over to his side 100$.

Mozenrath couldn't use a computer.

Xanatos could.

Mozenrath, however, was well aware of Xanatos's plans. None of the others were, but surely had their own agendas. Mozenrath, Xanatos felt, needed to be in on the whole scheme. Maleficent surely realized that the Arabic man had not a shred of goodness in his heart, and, as such, was not one to trust. Therefore, if Mozenrath attempted to betray him, surely Maleficent would deduce that he was lying. If this was not the case, then she'd most likely not make a move. If she did, Dr. Facilier would defend him.

Xanatos offered Facilier a chance to pay off his immortal debt.

He could not deny Xanatos now.

"So when do we make the first strike?" Maleficent asked, smirking as she rested her hands on her staff.

"Immediately," chuckled Xanatos, "After I open a couple portals here and there, I believe Mozenrath will inform you of the first item to capture from a town in a place called Agrabah…"

#

"Is that the castle?" Captain Hook asked outside the fortress walls of what could only be described as a mansion castle combination thingy. The Captain was tired of rowing through the oceans. Ever since departing from Never Land, he had grown tired of all this roaring and sailing. It was fun over there where Peter Pan was always present for a good brawl, but, alas, here he was both out of his element and surrounded by strange sights and sounds. The prospect of running into a mermaid or merman was something alien to him, so alien, in fact, that he almost wanted to load the cannons at that very moment.

The tentacled woman chuckled as her bulging form lumbered toward the bow of the ship. Hook's crew stared at the nautical woman with a combined expression of both stunned awe and mild fear. They were used to eating octopus when hungry, not taking orders from them. Indeed, even Hook was annoyed by this figure, longing nothing more than to give her a good slap across the face. Alas, such an action would've been nothing short of assault and violence against a woman. Such an action is nothing short of unfair cruelty. He couldn't hit a woman like her without looking like a complete monster.

Wait, wasn't he the villain of his story?

Why was he debating over crossing the moral event horizon or not?

"Make a ruckus!" Ursula cackled, "Launch the cannons on the walls! Make a commotion!"

"What?" Open fire on a castle full of people? Wouldn't it be more efficient to take them all hostage onto the ship? Hold them as some sort of bargaining chip rather than simply murder them all right out? How were they going to defend against a furious King Triton if all their leverage was dead? The very idea was just short of idiotic. Captain Hook, for one, was not going to obey-

"Open-" Mr. Smee began, only for Captain Hook to clamp his hands around his mouth, muffling his words sharply and harshly.

"Don't worry about her, Mr. Smee. Men, I want you to sneak past the gates and infiltrate the castle," Captain Hook declared, smirking.

"What in God's name are you doing!" Ursula snapped, "We need to cause chaos! If they're frantic, the girl will be easier to catch!"

"What girl?"

"You idiot! King Triton's daughter! The very reason we're here!"

"We can't just kill people at random. What if we kill her by mistake?"

"But if we dawdle around-"

A cannonball flew toward them, just missing the ship. Hook turned, irate, toward the fortress at the shore, which had unloaded cannons alongside the walls. So they had dawdled far too long in one spot. Frowning, Hook saw no alternative. It was time to unleash their cannons. "Alright, men! Open fire!" From the sides of the ship, great balls of iron soared toward the still moving castle. "Ursula, you have magic, right? Get rid of those balls!"

Cannonballs soared toward the ship as Ursula laughed. There was a gust of wind as, to Captain Hook's shock, great hands of seaweed green smoke rose from Ursula's own palms. The spectral fingers extended toward the spheres of death soaring toward them, the orbs landing heavily in the open palms. The balls melted upon making contact, tumbling into the sea to boil away, smoky salt rising into the atmosphere. Hook laughed as he saw his own balls soar straight into the fortress walls, shattering the exterior with a cataclysmic impact. The walls crumbled inward, and the sounds of numerous screams filled his ears.

That was when Hook came to realize all the lives he could be taking who could be used as bargaining chips.

"Uh, that should be enough," Hook replied, smirking, "They should get the idea. Move in, men."

"Their cannons aren't down quite yet," Ursula chuckled, "Allow me!" The spectral hands extended through the air, coming into contact with the cannons lined up on the walls. Hook watched as great wells of smoke rose from the boiling stone borders as people shrieked in pain. He did not see what happened to the poor souls locked within Ursula's grasp, but his imagination told him more than any mortal longed to see.

"Right then, move in to attack," Hook called, a declaration Mr. Smee repeated for all the burly crew to hear. As they soared closer to the ruined castle walls, Hook watched as men with bladed swords darted forward, armed to the teeth, ready for combat. "Mr. Smee, I need you to take command of the ship a little. This capture mission requires a more personal touch."

"So you're going to the castle, Cap'n?" Mr. Smee asked, in awe.

"What're you kidding? Of course not! No, I'm going to be in my quarters. No, no! Ursula will be going off to grab the girl."

"I will what!" Ursula stammered.

"That's right," Captain Hook said, smiling, "You're more threatening than we are to them. They have a history with you, so I suppose it'll make more sense for you to frighten them into obedience, you know?"

"I suppose I follow you," Ursula replied, laughing in her annoying, irritating cackle. He smiled as his newly hatched plan dawned in his mind. It would be perfect, and put everything into perspective for the maimed captain. It would also allow him to finally put an end to that blasted Peter Pan. He watched as Ursula slunk off the ship, laughing all the way. The very ocean itself warped around her, great serpents of liquid rising into the air, dancing toward the men on shore, drowning them under the great weight of their aquatic masses. He grinned as he stood up high on the deck, and turned toward Mr. Smee.

"Mr. Smee, load all cannons, and put a little extra in these ones, will you?"

"Are we aiming for the castle, sir?"

"No, the sea."

#

Ursula cackled as she emerged on the shore, washed up in the form a beautiful, slender woman. She flexed each angular, slender digit as she smiled. Not quite as luscious and magnificent as her normal form, no, but this was to do. She rose to her feet, finding it easier to walk upon the sinking sand than if she possessed eight limber, yet not quite as mobile, tentacles. She made sure not to look like Vanessa, as last time, but rather as some blonde, injured woman, clutching a bleeding arm, wearing a maid's uniform. The last person someone would suspect from a raid by pirate ship was a nurse from within the castle, right?

As the maid lumbered over to the castle, clutching her bleeding shoulder and arm, the blood truly being transformed water, she chuckled in each forced gasp of air. She thought of the look on Prince Eric's face when she killed him, murdered him in front of his bride and, to her knowledge, daughter too. It would be so delightful to kill them all, but then, alas, she'd have nothing to bargain with in order to get King Triton on her side.

Guards passed by on every side, running to the shore, passing the injured maid by. Occasionally a guard would glance concerned at her, but then keep running all the same. The pirates no doubt would defend her against any guards, and now that all the soldiers were lined around the castle to keep a pirate from breaking and entering, who'd expect the poor, injured maid to be a threat? Of course, King Triton would no doubt kill those pirates and that stupid Captain Hook. What an excuse of a bad guy he was. He had no powers, no special weaponry, just a few guns and some idiot grunts who couldn't even intimidate a gopher into surrendering his underground tunnels. Ursula, however, had armed herself with the essential spells and curses, armed to the tooth with artillery to slaughter everyone in her way, if need be, and that was if she didn't even curl her fingers around the triton, which she expected to do so once King Triton rose from the sea, which was soon, to say the least.

Soon, Ursula was in the inner mainframe of the castle, watching people scurry around for their lives, to the underground shelters. The maid caught sight of a dark haired teen darting down the stairs, turning toward the nearest suit of armor, reaching for it, struggling to withdraw a sword from the gauntlet of said soldier. No doubt, judging by the structure of the face, was that girl Prince Eric's daughter. She looked just like him, after all, only with young, petite breasts and an hour glass figure, inherited by her voluptuous mother.

The nurse grinned as tentacles exploded from her sides, wrapping around the girl's waist. The sword was drawn from the soldier's hands as she was held up into the air. The guards had left the castle, all outside, and nothing could save her now. Ursula's body exploded out from the nurse's form, her skin bulging as her stomach expanded, arm fat sprouting between skin and bone once more, her comfortable form returning to her. Soon, the disguise could no longer contain her form, and it was ripped apart, bloody specks of flesh splattering around the floor as she returned to being, laughing maniacally. The girl surely didn't recognize her, but knew enough to know she was doomed.

Or, as Ursula realized when she plunged the sword in her hands into the nearest tentacle, she knew when to fight.

Ursula was too hasty, she realized, as pain filled her, agonized her. "You brat!" Ursula shrieked, throwing the girl into the stairway, shattering stone under the force of impact. The girl twitched weakly as she rose to her feet, holding the blade out before her. Ursula moaned in pain as one of her eight limbs laid limp and worthless on the ground, bleeding. It twitched spastically and out of control, pathetic and worthless. And it was all that bitch's fault!

"Melody!"

Ursula glanced up to see her scarlet haired nemesis descend the stairway. Even after all these years, she was the same woman. Slender, lithe, dressed in a gown suitable for a Queen. Albeit, it was a bit more humble than any sort of gown a Victorian queen would wear, but, alas, what was one to do? The red-haired ex-mermaid stared at her daughter, mortified that she was experiencing pain, before turning toward Ursula, her eyes widening in fear as realization and memories of manipulation and betrayal returned to her heart. Surely she too would be in utter terror now that the sea witch had returned.

Or, when she ripped a large chunk of wood from the stairway and harpooned it into another of her tentacles, Ariel had nothing to fear.

"What the hell!" Ursula shrieked in pain as blood cascaded over the floor. She struggled to free herself, finding her body nailed to the ground. Every attempt to free herself simply resulted in her pierced flesh tearing a little more, the wound opening wider and wider, more blood spilled over the ground. Even if she could lift the thing up, it would do nothing, seeing as how the nerves had all been, no doubt, severed completely. She had to wait for the things to regenerate, and these things took time. She needed her limbs now!

Prince Eric arrived with a harpoon, darting down the stairs. Oh, another figure she absolutely loathed. However, now she wasn't going to delay to absorb his fear. Extending her hand, a great bolt of electricity surged outward, a bolt he dodged hastily. The blast collided against a wall behind him, tearing through the surface, and out to the open. She heard a guard call out for his men, at which Ursula hastily turned around, eyes widened with fear. No, this was too soon! What about Captain Hook? Wasn't it their job to keep those guards busy? She knew she shouldn't of trusted such a stupid fool!

No, it was alright. She could hear cannons being fired rapidly, and screams of pain and horror filling the air. She was too soon to doubt the expendable villain just yet. Just wait until Triton came, though.

A great hand erupted from Ursula's, reaching for Melody. Eric and Ariel were tough, but their daughter would be easy bait. The stunned Melody, unable to role out of the way due to the pain of slamming into a stairway, was effortlessly ensnared by the grasp of her clutches. Ursula held the girl out before her, her arms held tightly to her sides, as both Eric and Ariel stared helplessly at their daughter's pitiable situation. "I'm sure none of us want a fatality in the family so soon, so stand back, or else I'll crush your daughter in my hands!" Ursula cackled, laughing at the top of her lungs.

"You monster!" Ariel shrieked.

"A monster? Well, sweet-cakes, just wait until your daddy comes, and sees how the monster has you!" Two more hands sprouted from Ursula's palm, but neither Ariel or Eric were quite as easy to ensnare. Eric rolled out of the way, and Ariel downright jumped into the air, spiraling high above Ursula. The sea witch laughed as a great spark of electricity soared toward the airborne queen, an easy target! She did not expect the metal harpoon to soar through the air, slamming into the bolt. The electrical charges surged through the metallic object, charging it bright blue with energy. Ursula watched as the harpoon froze in the air, levitated by the blast, before spinning through the air, landing straight below, through the arm of the hand that held Melody, and straight into another tentacle! Ursula watched as her hand dissolved into the air, watched Melody land on the ground, watched her scramble away, but next to the nigh-unbearable pain surging through her body, she could not grasp such concepts. She screamed for her life in agonizing pain, screamed to the heavens above, as electricity surged throughout her entire frame. As the bolts slowly subsided, every nerve tingling ever more, she tumbled down, gagging on her own blood.

This wasn't happening! She had no trouble stopping these people before, so why now, with an entire army of pirates behind her, did she fail! Was it because she had a more thought out approach last time? Well, rest assured, this was the last time Ursula fell for such a stupid, idiotic, unoriginal-

"Ursula! Are you here?"

She felt a grin spread across her pudgy face. That was Hook's voice. She weakly cackled, best she could, without vomiting out more bodily fluid, as she glanced over, watching the legion of pirates enter the chamber, chuckling amongst themselves. They held guns in their hands as they stared at Ursula's broken form, amused. Mr. Smee stood in the forefront, smiling dopily, though why the idiot wasn't shocked the leader of this group, Ursula, was in pain was a mystery to the sea witch. At least now the cavalry had arrived-

Hook walked in, and upon entering the room, all eyes stared in shock and horror. In his hand and hook was not a gun, not a sword, not even a blunt piece of wood, but rather a three-pronged trident! There was no way! How in God's name did he get that? How did he pry that triton from that bastard's fingers? Those cannons-they must've shot him until he died! So King Triton was dead, bloody in the ocean, and SHE DIDN'T KILL HIM? At least his divine weapon finally belonged to her.

"Hook! Hook!" Ursula cried out, only for Hook to lazily glance over at her, ignoring the aghast expressions on Ariel and Eric's faces as he twirled his new weapon over his shoulder.

"Oh, that's Captain Hook, Ursula. Remember it."

"Shut up and give me my triton so I can finish them off!" she cackled, her eyes mad.

"Your triton? Oh, dear, Ursula, you really don't get it, do you?" Captain Hook laughed, examining the surface of the weapon, "Really, what're you going to do with this triton once I do give it to you? Kill that family over there? Kill my men? Kill me?" Ursula strongly considered ripping Hook's heart out of his chest at that very moment, but restrained herself. She'd need that triton if she wanted anything.

"No, of course not! Listen, what's killing me going to do? I can just return to life after wards, after all, and-"

"Kill you? Who said anything about killing you?" Hook laughed, "No, no, I'm just going to do this!" Hook extended the triton to Ursula's face, as light exploded from the prongs! Ursula screamed at the top of her lungs as she found her body twisting, distorting, shrinking. Hook grew larger and larger above her as she found herself still, unmoving, her lips sealing up over her mouth as her tongue fused to the roof of her mouth. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She couldn't resist as her body grew slender, streamlined, and metallic.

She saw as Hook reached down, and tossed her into the air. "Mr. Smee," Hook said to his cohort, "Have you ever seen a more magnificent hook before?"

"No, sir! Not ever!"

Hook had turned Ursula into a hook! She watched in horror as Mr. Smee removed the damaged hook attached to his arm, and inserted Ursula into his flesh. Smiling slightly, Hook turned toward the family, and said, "No hard feelings, I assure you. Right now, I need to go off to Neverland. You'll find your guards surrendered upon my arrival. I apologize for the damage, but I daresay it's worth it."

And, with that, Captain Hook turned and departed.

Ursula in hook.

#

Gaston watched as the Hun army passed by the seventeenth ravaged village this week. As Shan-Yu rode through the fields of Chinese soldiers, slaughtering one after another, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy toward this man. After all, he commanded all these men to work on his side, and yet Gaston was mostly there for the ride. Sure, he had occasionally joined in on the fun, and, with his rounds, he had taken off a few dozen heads from a distance, the great shot he was, and occasionally even joined in for some close and personal combat, wrestling those karate Chinamen to the ground, but, alas, it wasn't nearly as fun if that silent brute Shan-Yu was just going to continue ignoring his accomplishments like that. He was far superior to any single man in this unit, or perhaps them all combined.

No one fought like Gaston!

"So how much longer until we finish this little invasion of yours?" Gaston asked, irritated.

"Once the Emperor bows to my feet and Fa Mulan lays on the ground, dead," Shan-Yu replied, the same response every instance.

"I see. How long will that take?"

Shan-Yu paused as his falcon soared over their heads, landing delicately on his shoulder, cawing loudly. With a large grin on his lips, Shan-Yu turned toward Gaston, and replied, a sinister glint in his eyes, "Why, the time is now, Gaston."

There before them stood a large city, lights on every corner, high walls raised as guards stood at every corner. Gaston knew this had to be the capital or something to that effect. Just the overall royal tone to the place. It was beautiful, if not foreign and enigmatic. It had this sense of wonder that Gaston never felt before. Grinning, however, he acknowledged that infiltrating this place would be an effortless chore. Their army was nigh-unstoppable. The prospect that some guy named Mulan had killed him was stupid. What was this man like, anway? Was Mulan this hulking figure like the Beast? No doubt a true fiend if he single-handedly beat this army.

Of course, Gaston could also beat this army on his own too.

He just didn't feel like it.

Right now.

"So how will we get in?" Gaston asked, "Just knock on their door and walk in?"

Shan-Yu turned to Gaston, a grin on his lips. "You will do that. We'll sneak in as you make a scene. It would appear I found a use for you yet."

Gaston chuckled. Make a scene? No one made a scene like Gaston, as he'd show that fool. However, he wondered how great of a scene it would be when Gaston made a rather interesting event occur only a few moments into the future. He grinned in pleasure as he realized that, what was to follow was to be the single greatest moment in his rivalry with Shan-Yu. The brute of a general was just too stupid to know it yet.

The hunter walked up to the front gates of the castle, a laugh in his lips. The guards turned toward him, a curious expression on their faces as he approached. "Excuse me, I'd like to go in to see the palace around here." Gaston looked at their blank expressions as they regarded him like a crazy person. Gaston chuckled as he withdrew his rifle from his back, showing it to the men. "See this thing?"

"What is it?" a guard asked. Gaston glanced over his shoulder to see select members of the Hun Army slither through the shadows, the guard's attention deviated toward the weapon.

"Well, this is a rifle. Now, you see that bird in the sky?" Gaston asked, gesturing toward a bird high in the air. "Watch this." With a single round of the rifle, the bird's head exploded. He noticed Shan-Yu and a few of the first men enter over the wall, a grin on their lips. The bird landed at Gaston's feet, much to the amazement of the simpleminded Chinamen. Gaston grinned as he glanced overhead, noticing a falcon soaring over their heads. Wasn't that Shan-Yu's bird?

Gaston pulled the trigger.

"Magnificent shot," a guard said as the falcon landed near where the remainder of the Huns that had gone that far were hiding. No doubt they were thousands hidden. Not enough for a few dozen guards. The guard nearest Gaston was about to approach the falcon to retrieve it, when Gaston placed a hand on his chest.

"There's men in that bush."

"Are there?" the Chinaman whispered back.

"Can't you see them? Call some soldiers quickly. "Be stealthy."

"Right."

Shan-Yu heard a second shot ring out, much to his amusement. That idiot Gaston was so short-sighted, an impossible comrade outside of creating magnificent spectacles to distract the enemy. He was as worthless as a horse without legs. After all, even a horse without legs could distract a few people, despite having no manor of fulfilling its own proper function. Shan-Yu would've chuckled, but, alas, that would give away his position. He was surprised that only a dozen Huns followed him, though he was sure the others were waiting for the guards' backs to turn again as Gaston let out a third shot, one that rang out through the air, one that Shan-Yu acknowledged as-

People were running toward the gates?

That idiot hadn't distracted the guards well at all! Everything was ruined!

At least the Emperor would fall.

Shan-Yu darted through the shadows with his men, his own wavy blade stretching through the air as he leapt silently from rooftop to rooftop, until the heavily guarded palace came into perspective. As the other Huns looked for shadows to hide within, Shan-Yu scanned the guard below, looking for one specific individual. And, after seconds of searching, he found her, standing right there on the ground, blade outstretched, garbed in armor, her face unmistakable after all these years.

Fa Mulan.

Shan-Yu chuckled silently to himself as he looked for a way to attract only her attention as the others delved into the dark of the night. However, soon, any possibility of stealth disappeared as a bullet rang through the air, a bullet from the only gun in the vicinity, a blast that soared through the air, and shot against the nearby roof. That idiot Gaston gave away their position! Shan-Yu's eyes widened with fury and hatred as the guards turned toward the roof, their stealth ruined!

"Up there!"

"It's the Huns!"

"Is that Shan-Yu?"

"The rumors ARE true!"

"Impossible, he's dead!"

Shan-Yu's eyes widened with fury as the mass of men below, and the single woman, withdrew their blades from their hilts. His own comrades drew their weapons fiercely, ready for carnage, as Shan-Yu screamed out into the air, leaping down to meet his enemies. He landed on a helpless soldier, crushing him underneath his mass, before parrying the blows of three oncoming men as his Hun comrades parried blow after blow against them. He would slay Mulan AND the Emperor, along with that man Shang! There was no doubt about it!

He was going to die!

She was going to die!

They were all going to die!

Men after men came after the Huns, and each man was sliced down the middle. Blood ran down the streets like wine as he drew his wavy blade across their throats and faces, severing heads as his hulking mass pushed through the soldiers, shoving enemies aside as he searched for Fa Mulan. That name had remained embedded in his psyche upon entering the Underworld, the only thing that kept him somewhat attached to the material world in any fashion, the sole thing keeping him from mindlessly decaying into oblivion.

By all that mattered, he would see her dead!

He heard the sounds of blades plunging through the Hun armor, heard the screams of his comrades as they were impaled on spears and swords, but that didn't matter at all. So long as he wasn't injured, and fully able to slay the one who had killed him, he did not fear death. He knew he probably would be killed if Hades didn't poof him out of this world after ripping Mulan's heart out of her chest, so why bother to fear what might just be inevitable? Hell, maybe sinking into oblivion might be fun so long as he knew Mulan died.

And then, he caught a glimpse of her. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he darted toward her, at a mad dash, sword outstretched for her. Soldier after soldier came between them, but he simple kicked and elbowed them to the ground as he darted toward his target, a grin on his face, ready to beat the one who had defeated him twice before, once crushing him under a mound of snow, and once blowing him apart to shreds.

Mulan stood on the stairs of the castle, apart from the rest of the soldiers, as Shan-Yu broke free, glaring down at his terrified, yet bravely standing, prey. He laughed breathily to himself as he stared down at his target, sword at the ready, as he darted forward, his hulking mass tingling through every vein as he felt pleasure surge through his body. He brought his blade down upon the stone, shattering it under the force of impact.

Mulan sidestepped.

Shan-Yu stomped down on the ground, shattering stairways beneath Mulan's feet, causing her to stumble slightly, as the Hun general drew back his blade, ready to pierce the girl's heart. However, just as he was about to, a new mass emerged to his side. He blocked, hastily, to deflect a sword coming right at him. Before him stood the Captain Shang who had lead Mulan, the very man he thought almost took away victory.

He was a worthy appetizer before the grand finale.

With a harsh stab forward, Shan-Yu plunged his blade straight into Shang's stomach, piercing straight through it! Though Mulan was silent, and Shang screamed for a moment in pain, Shan-Yu knew the wound wasn't mortal. It was simply to distract Mulan, weaken her blows with fear and concern for Shang's safety. A cheap blow, yes, but an effective one nonetheless.

"Run!" Shang grunted as he drew his blade upward, ready to stab Shan-Yu even while injured. What a fool! With a harsh kick to the shoulder, Shan-Yu watched as the captain's entire body trembled upon impact, the bones in that region of the body cracking under the force. He screamed as he tumbled off Shan-Yu's blade, bleeding over the stairs. Mulan dared to approach him, almost coming in contact with the Hun General's blade as it slashed through the air. She dove back, but not before the blade knocked off her helmet, sending it clattering over the ground, her eyes wide with fear.

"It's time to finish things, girl."

Shan-Yu slashed fiercely through the air, each blow the girl danced around, evading hastily as she drew up her own blade. After dodging like a fly from a swatter, she chose to bite like a dog, stabbing forward with her blade. Alas, all that did was give Shan-Yu an ample chance to grab her by the wrist, and snap her arm like a twig in his arms. She cried out in pain as Shan-Yu laughed. Sure, his armies had fallen. And yes, he was no doubt inches away from death himself, but at least he could deliver the final blow to his nemesis.

"Now nothing can save you," Shan-Yu whispered, before screaming out.

The scream was muffled by a gunshot.

Shan-Yu's eyes widened in pain as he gagged on his own blood. No, this wasn't possible. Blood rolled down his chin as he watched the bullet slam headlong into Mulan's breast, tearing through her flesh, knocking her back, but failing to pierce any major veins. He watched Mulan stagger backward, despite Shang's pained screams, and despite Shan-Yu being so damn close to victory. He glanced over his shoulder to see Gason loading another bullet into the gun, a smile on his lips.

"So sorry, there! Seemed to miss," Gaston laughed.

"You cheap devil!" Shan-Yu threw his blade, blinded by rage, at Gaston. The hunter, a grin on his lips, turned around, only to catch the blade by the hilt. With a grin on his lips, he threw the blade right back at Shan-Yu. He screamed in agony as the sword pierced straight through his knee, leaving him lame on the ground, tumbling headfirst into the ground, his forehead torn open as blood ran down his face. No, this wasn't possible! That idiot couldn't take away his victory! It was impossible! Unfair!

Shan-Yu turned toward Mulan as he ripped his own blade from his flesh, holding it out before him as he bled on the stairs, glaring at Mulan as blood ran down her chest. He would win. He would slay that bitch if it was the last thing he ever did. He roared through the air, ready to throw the blade through the air, praying he'd hit her in the heart this time, and finish her off for good. The blade threw like a torpedo, but, something that could only be described as an act of God occurred. A great black vortex exploded to life behind Mulan, and the girl tumbled backward into it. As Mulan fell through the rift in reality, the blade passed through the hole, emerging the other side into the stairs, worthless, while Mulan vanished from view.

Were the spirits and Gods themselves refusing to let him ever rest in peace?

Shan-Yu bled heavily on the ground, as he lumbered toward his own blade. He reached out for it, only for a bullet to ring through the air, blasting his hand into a bloody smear. Gaston's gun was held out before him, a smile on his lips as smoke rose from his barrel. He blew the cloud away from the gun tip as Shan-Yu glared at his true nemesis. Had it not been for that bastard, he would've had his victory. He would've succeeded! It was all Gaston's fault!

"So, tell me, Shan-Yu, now who'd win in a fight? A true fighter ALWAYS watches his back. Maybe you'll remember that next time," Gaston chuckled, drawing the barrel of his gun over Shan-Yu's face.

"I swear to Heaven itself, even if it takes me a thousand years, I will squeeze your throat until your eyes pop from their sockets. I will rip your limbs off and leave you bleeding in the tiger's den. I will-"

BANG

#

Mulan felt warmth surround her as she found herself lying on the ground. It was raining over her, water running over the great hole in her chest. She sobbed silently as water poured over her open, burning wounds. She let the water slip into her mouth as tears rained down over her cheeks. The searing agony was familiar, but that was not what stung the most. This injury could be fatal. She might be dying. She didn't want to die. She needed to live, live for her family, for her father, for Mushuu, for Shang. She had too much to live for, too-

"What's this?" A deep, old voice spoke over her, a voice that made her well aware that there was hope she'd live. She slowly opened her eyes to see a tall, dark figure standing over her, scooping her into his arms as the rain tumbled down upon both of them. "Girl, who injured you?"

"I-I-"

"Now, what manor of human are you? From the far East?"

"Yes. Please. I need help. Please…I…need…"

#

"Help? You can bleed on the ground for all I care!" Frollo was about to toss the Chinawomans' body back in the alley. How did this witch appear in this strange land? Was she another escapee from Purgatory? Another foul one of that devil's recruits? Another villainous soul worthy of returning to the void itself? Regardless, he had never laid eyes on a woman from the east before in person, but the stories of these heathens were enough to make him want nothing short than to leave the bleeding mass on the ground now to die!

"Oh my God! Who is that?"

The accursed black woman emerged from the building behind her, another Princess in need of a more filthy kingdom than even this hell hole. He only stayed here because the woman thought him mad. It was enough for him to bide time, but if that woman was about to interrupt his holy mission to kill all those around him, then he would draw an issue beyond the heathen's unholy, crude manor.

"She's an unholy demon. I'm-" Hadn't he done this before? This seemed oddly familiar to the old judge, as though he had this exchange before. Despite the black woman being a crude, monstrous freak, she was still, for the time being, his benefactor. She had a use for him now, and to ruin that use so soon would be foolish. Perhaps, for the time being, he should play along, and then, upon returning to France, he'd burn the city to the ground, her and this wench included. "I found her in the alleyway, injured."

"Oh God! Is that a bullet wound?" stammered the girl, Tiana her name was if he recalled correctly, "Get in! Both of you!"

The judge complied, taking the bleeding Oriental woman with him in his arms, glancing down at the woman. She was dressed in a bizarre armor. Perhaps her strength might supply him some strength in the future. He might as well take advantage of her abilities for the time being. And then, once they all outlived their usefulness, they would burn in Hell.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

"Alright, alright, can you run that by me again? What did you say happened to Ursula?"

"Gone missing," Hook replied, resting the great golden trident in his hand against his shoulder, glancing off. Jafar noticed Hades' flaming mane change to a shade of orange for a moment before turning toward Gaston, who was resting his gun on his shoulder. Hades looked even more furious toward him, eyes mad and wild. His jagged teeth clenched as he glared at the arrogant man, a man too confident and arrogant for Jafar to normally consider a threat. Then again, he had underestimated Captain Hook as well.

He was mistaken to underestimate either man before him.

"Alright, now you can't make up any excuse. I KNOW Shan-Yu is dead!" Hades' mane flared up as he snapped those words, his mane relaxing as he exhaled slowly, attempting to settle down . However, with every word, his unrelenting fury became more and more pronounced, as his flaming hair expanded in girth, changing from cool cerulean to searing scarlet. "I saw him pass by the Underworld just a few minutes ago. Now, lemme just put it into perspective: either Shan-Yu was killed by this Mulan bozo as you told me, in which case you failed to protect your comrade, or you personally took it upon yourself to retire him by shooting him through the SKULL!" Hades' main shone like a supernova as the very ground trembled under him, burning to ash around his feet as he shrieked, eyes wide and livid.

Gaston, however, stared onward, a cocky grin on his lips, as the flames danced around him, never touching him. He knew Hades couldn't afford to lose men. He was savvy to the God's plans. For his unimpressive appearance, Gaston truly was a vile human being. Jafar had been foolish to underestimate his scheming. He was a brilliant man under the disguise of a buffoon. Shan-Yu was not a pathetic man for falling for the façade of ignorance. Indeed, Jafar had been fooled just as easily. He was certainly one to keep an eye on.

"Oh, Mulan was quite a violent one. Don't worry, though, I handled her."

"What about the bullet wounds?" Hades snapped.

"Oh, well, Shan-Yu was pulled in front of my line of fire by one of the soldiers," Gaston replied, "The poor bastard. Oh well, he wasn't much of a fighter if he couldn't resist a little push."

"Shan-Yu seems too strong to fall for such an easy ploy," Captain Hook replied, frowning slightly, "I find it hard to believe he'd just trip over his own feet if he was such a mighty warrior."

"Oh, trust me: he has a bad center of gravity," Gaston replied, "All that weight in his upper body? You need to have large muscles spread throughout…like me." If his arrogance and pride were a façade, it must be an awfully good trick. Jafar couldn't see where the lying ended and the actual personality truly began. He smirked slightly as he watched Hades fume onward. Gaston may be a deceitful individual, but he could be a useful utensil in the grand scheme of things. Shan-Yu was not a strong man in comparison to Jafar's might, nor, truly, was Hades. Gaston, however, had the benefit of being overlooked, which was a power Jafar did not possess any longer. Maybe he could use the buffoon.

Maybe.

"Where are Yzma and Oogie Boogie? Their tardiness is grating," Scar moaned, rubbing his forehead with his paw.

"Who?" Captain Hook asked.

"You know, the sack guy and the old woman who looks like a shriveled up dinosaur," Gaston replied.

"Oh, her."

"The large question remains, however, what we do next," the Horned King said, his raspy voice echoing throughout the air, "We have the Cauldron, we have the Trident, we even have the Hun Army, so what more do we possibly need? We're invincible as it is."

Jafar chuckled at this. For such mighty monsters, they sure overlooked the fact that the mightiest entity of them all was still outside their grasp. Jafar was now a free Genie. If he truly wanted to, he could probably imprison that damned blue man in another lamp, but that might require more effort. He wondered whether to enter with a plan of some sort, or simply overpower the entire town. He was sure that the street rat would be annihilated merely by the army of the dead reanimated by the Cauldron, but that was far too simplistic of a revenge strategy. No, his vengeance was to be more dramatic than a mere rumble. It was to be utter annihilation of all he held dear before the brat begged at the vizier's feet for death, which he'd grant when he was good and ready. He would kill all those he held dear right in front of his eyes, and no reliance on bumbling fools either. He wondered how to manipulate the others, however.

"I fail to see the humor in all this," Scar mumbled, "We're already going to win, so what more do we possibly need?"

"Oh, my dear friends, the greatest prize is just outside of our grasp. You are simply too short-sighted to see it," Jafar chuckled, "The Genie of the Lamp is the most powerful deity in my universe. If your weapons make you mighty Kings, then he is a God! There are none superior to him in power, except, of course, for me. However, it doesn't hurt to have extra weapons in your arsenal, as he clearly will be. He will be the added power we'll need for supreme domination."

"And how will we enslave a God?" Scar asked, amused.

"Simple: we imprison him once more in his lamp," Jafar chuckled.

"If it's so easy, then why didn't you do it while alive?" the Horned King replied.

"I did manage to trap him before," Jafar chuckled, "It was that damn street rat Aladdin and that traitorous Iago who foiled my plans. This time, however, I require none of their interference, thanks to you."

"You are of course assuming we'll do anything at all to aid your crusade," Scar mumbled, irritated, "I for one think we have more than enough artillery to deal with a few mongrels."

"No, more weapons are good," Hades mumbled in thought, "The more added oomph we got, the easier it is to-yeah, I'm totally for it. Get the Genie. Uh, let's see here, who're ya gonna need?"

"I'll need Hook's trident for one, and the Horned King's magic should do well to aid me," Jafar chuckled, turning away, "I shall return in the coming hours, with your mightiest weapon of all in toe. You needn't wish me luck, for there isn't a prayer we shall fail."

And, with that, Jafar, the Horned King, and Captain Hook vanished without a trace.

#

"Quite a dry place, wouldn't ya say?" the dark skinned witchdoctor chuckled, glancing around at the sandy desert as Mozenrath took several steps forward. Dr. Facilier was grateful to finally be stepping on solid ground after spending so much time in the limbo known as-well, he had no idea where he was. His Friends had taken him off for a ride that he'd not soon forget, yet longed not to dwell upon. He was going to ensure he never had to return to that oblivion anytime soon. With a chuckle to himself, he glanced forward at the city before him. So many souls, all for the taking. All would be dragged into the oblivion known as-once again, didn't know or care what it was called, so long as he wasn't goin' back.

"It's Agrabah alright," Mozenrath chuckled, his eyes filled with a malice. Sure, enjoyed watching people suffer, but something about that kid just gave him chills. The bad sort of chills, too. Not the type of chills he got from watching someone screw up badly, no, the type that he got when he was scared for his life. This kid was evil, plain and simple, but he had no real way of proving it. He hadn't really done anything evil yet. He just sort of stood around and looked cool, which was something Facilier had to respect and all. He was quite a showman and all that. Still, there was something else. Maybe it was those cold, calculating eyes.

Dr. Facilier felt, however, if they were out to capture a God, they needed a little more than just him and a kid.

"So, whaddya gonna do from here?" Facilier asked, glancing around.

Mozenrath's lips curled into a broad, cold grin. "Call your friends out. We need a distraction."

"I wouldn't be so quick to call them just yet," chuckled Facilier, anxiously, "It may cost something in return, something I'm not so sure I can pay back too quickly."

Mozenrath chuckled, glancing off to the side. He pointed toward a group of peasants, a slight grin on his lips. "You see those people over there."

"Yeah."

"I am going to rip their spines out of their bodies for you, just to pay the soul debt. Will that satisfy your friends?" He said it so simply, without any sense of hesitation, as though murder were just as commonplace as buying bread from a vender. Dr. Facilier was relieved that Mozenrath was willing to help pay his debt, but the off-handed nature he had in regards to murder left the witchdoctor unnerved, dare he say it uncomfortable.

That was something he was NOT used to.

Dr. Facilier withdrew a small device from his pocket, pressing it against his finger. He winced slightly as it pricked his finger, blood drawing up, pooling into the folds of his skin. The scarlet liquid flowed through the cracks of the device, glowing brightly as Mozenrath approached the peasants, a slight grin on his lips. As an emerald aura surrounded the witchdoctor, his pulse quickening in anxiety, Mozenrath remained true to his word. Dr. Facilier knew he'd have trouble forgetting the shock in the people's eyes as the teen dug his fingers into their flesh, ripping bone from the rest of their bodies. Blood splattered into the streets as they screamed, their cries halted as their very vocal cords were stretched out, and torn. Blood filled the streets as the masks drifted over the scene, tongues in the shape of hands extending to collect spheres of light drifting from the carnage.

Dr. Facilier had to simplify this scene.

Otherwise he'd feel wrong.

He didn't like that.

Mozenrath turned toward the witchdoctor, blood peppering his cheek. "Tell them what to do," he said, almost irritated, as though Dr. Facilier, in gawking at the carnage on the ground, was wasting too much time.

"Uh, right, uh, Friends, uh, would you mind settin' up a distraction? I promise I have LOADS of souls ready for ya and everything." The masks drifting above him considered this for a moment, and, in an instant, Dr. Facilier feared to return to the world were bongos beat in his eardrums, where horrible, grotesque faces stared at him from all angles, where hands squeezed is body until it sort of broke, but, alas, he was grateful as shadows crawled out from the masks' open mouths, darting across the floor with the speed of cheetahs, disappearing into darkness. "So now what?"

"We wait," Mozenrath replied, reaching into his pocket to withdraw what appeared to be a gun of some sort. It was covered in circuits and laden with smaller enhancing modified devices of some sort. Dr. Facilier was unfamiliar with Xanatos's technology, but that fit the bill to the letter. "We wait until Aladdin comes running with his blue friend."

"You mean this genie everyone's talking about?" Dr. Facilier asked.

"Correct."

Once screams echoed throughout the air, even Dr. Faciler felt wrong. Granted, he was no pansy villain. He had no qualms about slaughtering an entire city just to pay off a debt, but that was on his own terms. He was in control in that situation, but this guy, this sociopath to his side, this was different. Facilier was not leading this operation: Mozenrath was. Mozenrath was in total control, calmly making orders to commit sins that even Facilier felt were inhumane. What sort of monster was he?

"He's coming," Mozenrath said after a few moments of waiting.

"How can you tell?"

"I smell him."

Soon, the shadow beasts swarmed back toward Facilier, rising higher into the air like monstrous demons of the night. At first, Facilier feared they were going to drag him back to Hell, but, alas, he saw rather they were protecting him as their enemy arrived. He was dressed in a purple vest, his chest bare as he ran over, his tanned skin and dark hair, to his surprise, rather similar to Mozenrath's attire. However, there was a benevolence emanating from him, this kind-hearted nature that even Dr. Facilier could pick up on. He liked him, making it a shame he had to die.

No, he didn't need to.

Mozenrath wanted it.

"Mozenrath!" Aladdin stammered, staring into the pretty boy with a look of horror in his eyes, "What are you-!"

"Well, it's been awhile, Aladdin. I hope our last encounter didn't have you believe this was the last you had seen of me. Rest assured, I have no further interest in simply pursuing Agrabah. There is a larger world for me to dominate now."

"Larger world?"

Mozenrath chuckled slightly before gesturing toward Dr. Facilier. "Dr. Facilier, kill Aladdin for me."

"Kill?" chuckled Dr. Facilier, "I don't think you understand, Mozenrath. You are in no position to bark orders. These demon things here? I don't think they listen to you. They listen to-"

"Kill Aladdin."

The cold glare in Mozenrath's eyes melted Dr. Facilier's words until they were reshaped into the vowels that the teen longed to hear. The shadow demons lunged toward Aladdin, the boy drawing back hastily as their claws were drawn outward, ready to claw apart his flesh until nothing but bone remained. However, before they could land their blows upon his hide, there was a large flash of blue light. The beasts were torn asunder as only flower petals remained, dancing onto the ground. Facilier stared in shock as the smoke gathered together, solidifying into a great mass of a man, a steamy tail for legs underneath a large, formidable frame. Yet something about this creature too generated such joy and happiness, as though it were the pleasure in living life itself personified in the flesh.

"I leave for a couple of hours, and look what ya get? Shadows, gloomy days, the works. Ah well, Al, hope I didn't bother ya too much here. So, I see Jafar Jr. over here's got a new playmate," chuckled this blue mass.

"Shut up," Mozenrath mumbled as he carelessly fired the pistol. The Genie turned toward Mozenrath, stunned, as he drew out of the line of fire. The blast tore into the building behind him, ripping it to shreds. The doctor watched as people within the house were drawn backward from the blast, hurtling into the walls behind them, splattering like spiders falling from a twenty story building against the pavement. If any regret filled the Arab's heart, even if it were for simply missing his target in the first shot, Mozenrath showed none of it. Rather, he prepared a second shot, only for Aladdin to tackle him, knocking the gun from his hands.

"Genie! Get rid of that thing!" Aladdin shouted before having an uppercut delivered into his jaw, knocking him backward as Mozenrath rose to his feet. The Genie turned toward the weapon as Mozenrath darted toward it, and, with a wave of his hands and some quick comment, fired jolts of orange electricity straight into it. Dr. Facilier watched as the bolts caressed and danced around the weapon's surface, and yet, to his horror, left not a single mark. What kind of weapon was that? Did Xerxes specifically design it to be immune to Genie magic? What other sorts of magic was he immune to?

Mozenrath grabbed hold of the weapon as the genie prepared to blast not the weapon but rather Mozenrath himself. As much as Dr. Facilier feared Mozenrath, he feared failure more. With a quick swing of his cane, a great blade emerged in the air, soaring straight at the Genie. It soared toward his head, which he weaved out of the way of. The Genie turned toward the witchdoctor, tutting softly as he wagged a finger. "It's all fun and games until someone looses and ey-ARGH!"

Mozenrath had hit the target.

Dr. Facilier watched as the gentle blue giant screamed to high heaven, clutching his chest as swirls of energy warped around him, sparks flying out into the air. Aladdin darted toward Mozenrath, who backhanded the fighter lazily as he turned back toward the Genie, laughing to himself softly at first before throwing his head back, his eyes full of delight as the Genie tumbled toward the ground, a whirlwind of light filling the air as the great blue man was dragged into an ornate golden lamp on the ground, which must've appeared out of nowhere, as Dr. Facilier had just become aware of its existence.

"Genie! No!" Aladdin shrieked as Dr. Facilier picked up the now still, cold lamp, chuckling to himself.

"I know the story about this thing. Now, you're supposed to rub it, and this guy comes out, am I right?" Dr. Facilier asked, preparing to carress its side, only for Mozenrath to snatch the thing from his hands.

"No, don't tempt fate," Mozenrath replied, "We return it to Xanatos now." The teen turned toward Aladdin, who stared in shock at the scene before him, eyes trembling in their sockets. "Remember this defeat, street rat. You are staring at the future ruler of all reality. Be warned. The time of reckoning draws near." And, with that, a portal opened up behind them, a portal that Mozenrath descended into as Dr. Facilier followed in pursuit, a disturbed grin on his lips.

At least the boy lived to give Facilier amusement again.

#

Jafar emerged in the familiar of desert of Agrabah to find bloodstained sand covering the ground, the sight of disemboweled corpses littering the ground. Even the sorceror supreme's eyes widened in shock. Captain Hook retched loudly as he almost vomited on the ground, unable to stare at the sight for a moment longer than necessary. The Horned King looked unfazed, yet, at the same time, Jafar could sense and uneasiness about him, less due to the carnage and more due to the fact that someone committed this horrid crime.

Jafar shared his concern.

"Someone has been here," Jafar mumbled, "And someone has taken the Genie away!"

"How can you tell?" Captain Hook asked, wiping his lips to remove yesterday's breakfast from his face.

"I can sense it. I can almost smell the Genie's humor fading away, though I daresay it's impossible to track him down now," Jafar sighed, running a hand over his forehead. Danger had left, he knew that much, but the fact that danger existed at all was a variable he had also not anticipated. Who could this be? Was it that evil witch and Queen? Perhaps, or maybe it was that deranged fanatic with the white hair. Oh, what was his name? Freddy? Franklin? Oh, whatever it was, it mattered very little. Regardless of whether the threat was large or small, a threat existed nonetheless, and must be dealt with appropriately.

"We must kill the enemy," the Horned King stated, "Let's follow the trail, and-"

"We can't do anything until we know what sort of lion's den we're leaping into," Jafar hissed, "They already have the genie, and for all we know, they too could be collecting powerful artifacts from the worlds. We can't be too hasty yet. Let's wait until we understand what sort of enemy we're up against before attacking. I'm sure one of the disgruntled former allies are behind this."

"You mean Maleficent?" Captain Hook asked.

"Or Frollo?"

"Oh, that was his name," Jafar chuckled aloud, "Anyway, I doubt this Frollo person would commit such violent actions indiscriminantly. He seems more pattern based, and this is clearly chaos for the sake of chaos. Maleficent seems too restrained, and this is just unrestrained brutality. Perhaps they hired some helping hands to be cruel and harsh. If they hired one cruel and harsh man at the very least, they may very well have an armada of sadists. We need to be cautious. We'll send out a scout. I recommend Gaston."

"Let's discuss this with Hades," Captain Hook replied, "I'm sure he'd be happy to send Gaston on a special mission."

"Yes, indeed…"

#

The soft face of the foreigner strained as she rested on her mattress, her eyes tightened as the dark skinned woman treated the wound with some sort of fluid, techniques that were foreign and unfamiliar to the old, ancient judge who stared from behind. If he were in charge, this event would be unable to occur. After all, if HE were in control, they'd be burning to death right now, a chorus of screams satisfying his ears and soothing his soul.

"Is this display reaching its conclusion yet?" Frollo asked, tensely as he glanced at Tiana, contempt filling his voice despite the masterful attempt at camouflaging his hatred and loathing toward that girl from the Dark Continent.

"Well, these things take time," Tiana replied, "She's hurt. She's made a lot of recovery for two weeks, yeah, but it's still a long process."

Two weeks. The Judge wondered how long that equated in the years of the Underworld. He prayed that little time had passed at all. Those monsters needed to burn for their plans. He knew they were planning not only on escaping, but wreaking vengeance upon the world. He understood their lust for violence against their offenders, as, after all, he felt the same burning surging through his body.

"Well, it's the best we can do for now," sighed Tiana, "I mean, that's what the doctor said to do, so-"

"Hmmmmm…" the girl moaned slightly, stirring for a moment before tensing up, clenching her jaw tightly before slumping down, gasping for air. Tiana darted toward her side, pressing her hands against her wound, applying pressure to avoid bleeding. The girl knew how to properly treat injuries like this, which surprised the judge. After all, most foolish people would apply tourniquets, which, he had learned after years observing bodily injuries, only achieved the task of deadening a limb to movement and life, meaning it could be cut off, no, should be cut off. Applying pressure to a vessel on each side, however, allowed injuries to clot and stop bleeding, which was essential for this girl's injuries.

After the oriental woman settled down, Tiana rose up, sighing, before turning toward the judge, a curious expression on her sweaty face, hair dangling over her face. "It's odd, don't you think?"

"What are you referring to?"

"Well, you say you come from France, right?"

"That is correct."

"Well, this here's New Orleans, but I still understand every word your sayin'. You are speaking the way you usually talk, right?" Frollo nodded in response. "And that new girl clearly ain't from around here, and we both can understand what she's saying. Strange, huh? Speaking of which, don't you have somewhere to return to? You've been shaking up here for the past two weeks, and, well, we're glad for the company and all that, but we can't have you just staying here without earning your keep."

"Earn my keep!" snapped the judge, "Woman, I'll have you know that I am a reputable figure of authority where I come from. I do not need to be burdened by earning my keep. When I return to France, I will reward you handsomely for you generosity." Yes, rewarded generously by only hanging her rather than burning her to death as he preferred. Hanging, after all, was a much faster, virtually painless way to die, while burning involved every tendon and scrap of flesh on the body to melt and crumble away as you were licked away by the fires of hell itself.

"Well, look, I've seen some wild stuff in my days. I don't think you even EXIST in this world," Tiana replied, "Why don't you tell me what's going on here?"

"I owe you no response, woman! You are in no position to even speak to someone of my status, so you should be grateful I didn't shut down this clearly illicit facility the moment I arrived!"

"This place here may be illicit where you come from, but over down here, this is a place of love and joy."

"Love and joy? It's a den filled with sins and wickedness, a perversion of society, the dregs of the Earth emerging to satisfy their gluttonous longings. A place of love and joy? What an amusing idea, an idea I can't help but CRINGE over!" The white-haired judge turned on his feet, his gown billowing into the air as he approached the door.

Tiana glared at the back of his head for a moment, clenching her fists, before sighing in relief. The woman had self-control, he gave her that, but that couldn't save the sins of her very conception and birth. She was an abomination, and even if she had a thread of virtue, which he knew she didn't, this subhuman was to be returned to ashes. "Listen, Claude-"

"Do not refer to me so casually!"

"Whatever, I don't give two-alright, Mr. Frollo, listen, I know you're an important figure where you come from and all that, but here, you're nothing. I've seen flies on garbage sitting out in the sun with more worth. Now, I can tell that idea is a little troubling and all that, but if you just open up with us and tell us just what's going on, maybe we can bring you back to your world, alright?"

Frollo considered this offer. This woman was asking to HELP Frollo? To help the judge? Well, at least she knew her place in society. Grinning slightly, he turned around, approaching the African woman, fingertips pressed against one another. "Well, this is certainly an interesting arrangement. And, tell me, what do you have to stand from this offer?"

"Nothing. I just feel happy I helped another human being."

What a pathetic award. "Very well then. I shall explain everything."

#

"So this is the Genie of the Lamp?" Maleficent chuckled, observing the golden surface of the metal container, "I really expected something more grand from what you described, Mozenrath."

"I guarantee that, within that contains more than enough power for our little plan," Xanatos xaid, smirking as he took the lamp from Maleficent's hands, "Allow me to demonstrate, seeing as how we're going to need one specific wish first before doing anything. It's nothing severe, I assure you."

"I'm not so sure we can trust you to make the first wish," Ratigan replied, "What if you wish for us to die or something?"

"That might be fun!" cackled Madam Mim

"I don't know exactly what your definition of fun is, Ma'am, but I sure as hell ain't dying again. Lemme tell you something, it ain't fun!" Dr. Facilier snapped, sweat billowing on his forehead despite his amused expression.

"I assure you that's not possible," Xanatos chuckled.

"And how do we know this?" Maleficent asked.

"The Genie of the Lamp can neither bring the dead from the grave or force the living into one," Mozenrath chuckled, "Even if I wished you all to die, the Genie wouldn't grant it, so you have nothing to fear."

Somehow, even now, Xanatos wasn't too sure that he had no reason to tremble. Rather, as he stroked his lamp, he strongly considered stripping Mozenrath of power. However, the mad Arab's bloodlust was a variable he had not only taken into account, but depended on, and what good was bloodlust if you couldn't have the power to make your morbid, grotesque dreams a reality? With the confidence of a business man closing a major deal, he summoned the Genie of the lamp, who rose into the air, gloomily lowering his head in shame.

"Hello, I'm the magical Genie of the lamp. Whoo."

"That's awfully unimpressive," Xanatos chuckled, "No energy whatsoever. Where's that energy I know you have all pent up inside of you?"

"I can make him squeal for ya!" Madam Mim chuckled, demonstrating her methods by slapping the butt of the Big Bad Wolf, who howled loudly on reflex. As much as Xanatos loved watching awkward sexual banter and he did, he was on a tight scheduel, and needed to make this wish soon. There were certain portals he needed to open, people destined for unions in the coming hours that needed to occur soon, while there was still a chance for his plans to come to fruition.

"Genie, I'm going to be frank with you: I have no idea what my next two wishes are going to be," Xanathos lied, smiling confidently, "However, I have one large wish I need you to accomplish for me at this very second."

"Name it."

Xanatos gestured toward the massive machine before them, filled with tubes and wires of all sorts. Xanatos grinned. "This machine is powered by sheer Genie magic. As I'm sure you can see when you tried attacking that gun of mine, I know how to resist genie magic. I can also, however, assimilate and meld it to my will. For my first wish, Genie, I wish for you to attach yourself to that machine, and allow it to do as it please." Most people always wanted to make a wish for more wishes, and the Genie himself couldn't do that. No, it was against the rules. However, thanks to this machine, Xanatos had found a way around that little difficulty. Now, he had the power of the Genie in the palm of his hands, and yet never had to make a wish OR live in an itty bitty living space.

"Your wish is my command, Master."

And now it was time to open a few doors.

#

"Hello, boys! We're back!" Yzma called before glancing back to the two individuals behind her, "No thanks to you two!"

"Hey, it's not my fault your henchman's a complete idiot!" Oogie Boogie snapped, gesturing toward the third man, the muscle bound Kronk, a man who Yzma instantly regretted bringing into this whole scheme.

"So, Oogie man, whaddya think of those Spinach Puffs?" Kronk laughed, elbowing the bag of bugs in the nonexistent hip.

"Well, it was pretty good if I do say so myself," Oogie laughed, "But I prefer my Snake and Spider Stew."

"Snake and Spider-how do you make it?"

"Take a wild guess."

Yzma grandly opened the doors to the Underworld chamber, her two cohorts dragging what could only be described as a giant trailer filled with spells, potions, ingredients, and the whole lot. She laughed as she gestured toward her comrades, "Gentlemen, I have arr-oh, aren't we missing a few?"

Hades glanced at the newcomers, and sighed, "Are you guys WAY behind on the times."


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

"Okay, ya gonna run that buy me again?" Hades mumbled, his eyes in resignation as Jafar repeated himself, tired of having to talk to this idiotic buffoon yet again. Did he not understand the simplicity of his statements, the subtle yet oh-so-clear nuances to just WHAT he was saying? Was this man hard of hearing? Was he, perhaps, stupid? Perhaps that was the explanation: that his fiery skull simply ate up whatever brains he might have possessed.

"I'm afraid that, if you intend on declaring war on whatever Gods you keep babbling about right now, there is a very good chance this rival faction could overwhelm and DESTROY us! Now, do I need to reiterate myself once more, or is this the time you'll finally comprehend the words coming out of my mouth?" Jafar asked, his voice lowering to a deadly whisper.

"I got what you're sayin', I got what you're sayin'-BUT I DON'T LIKE IT!" Hades snapped, his hair flaring into the air as his façade of control faltered, only to return to normalcy with a sudden hick-up sounding laugh. "Eh-hehe, alright, Jaffy, listen very careful. We have the Black Cauldron, some of the old lady's chemical do-hickies, and a trident! Sure, we lost a genie, but let's face it: how much damage can-?"

"You idiot! The lamp is worth far more than a stupid piece of metal, a stick with smaller sticks in it, and whatever is in that idiot woman's cabinet!" Jafar snapped, eyes wide with frustration.

"Woah, cool it down a notch, Jaffy!" Kronk, the muscle-bound idiot that had entered the scene with that stupid skinny old woman. He approached the slender vizier, wrapping his arm around Jafar's shoulder, with a chuckle on his lips. Why did this man even touch him? Why was he even here? He clearly had no ambition whatsoever, beyond perhaps becoming a male supermodel or winning a body building contest. Only Gaston was afraid of him, and that was mostly due to the fact that Kronk might have taken away Gaston's newly established status as strongest looking individual in the room. "Now, the way I see it, you need to settle down a bit, take a few minutes in the corner over there. Do I need to separate you two again?"

"Again? When did you separate us originally," Jafar asked, finding himself growing calmer as the stupidity of Kronk's statement settled in.

"Uh-good point."

"Don't mind him," Yzma laughed, nervously drawing Kronk away, a chuckle on her strained, dead looking lips, "He was dropped on his head when he was a baby."

"I can see that," Oogie Boogie replied, chuckling to himself before turning to Hades, "Jafar has a point, though. You want to put all the balls in your corner if you're gonna shoot for the gold, ya know? Before you roll the die, make sure they're weighted enough. I want extra insurance to make sure I don't die, ya know?" Even if Oogie Boogie wasn't exactly a fine ally for the sorcerer, he did aid him more than he could imagine. It was amazing, really, how much a bag of bugs could do when given the right incentive.

In this case, living.

"I say we destroy Neverland, and take all the fairies there," Captain Hook replied. There was an audible silence for several seconds. Finally, Hades repeated Hook's words in a tone so flat that Hook's eager smile, after enduring the uncomfortable silence that permeated the room, fell to the wayside, replaced with a somewhat embarrassed frown. "I thought it was a good idea."

"Yeah, great plan. What're a buncha fairies gonna do?" Hades laughed.

"They could be perfect for some of my potions, though," Yzma stated, smirking.

"Alright, you two go hunting fairies while the rest of us do something more useful," Gaston chuckled, masculinity, "Like attracting women."

Hades stared at Gaston blankly for a moment before slapping him across the face, unenthusiastically. "Woah, hold on, snap out of it, kid. Look, we aren't just here to get a buncha dames, okay? We're here to go out, take down Zeus from Olympus, and rule the entire cosmos, okay? Get that through your head. Once you rule the world, then start up your chick recruitment club, but business before pleasure for now, bub."

Gaston returned a flat, enthusiastic glance at the overlord before turning toward the Horned King. "Hey, do you want to pick up some girls?"

"Does it look like I enjoy doing that?"

"Not really."

"There, you have your answer," the Horned King replied, turning toward Jafar, "Now, what we should be doing is fortifying our group. After baring witness to what sort of horror is in Agrabah, I feel it's not just a good idea to act. It's a requirement. We NEED to do something now, or else all we will do in the future is for naught. This new opposition needs to be put down permanently. If they attack Olympus, then we'll need to launch emergency countermeasures, but let's prepare for such an event first."

"I am in agreement with this," Scar replied, "From what you've all told me, it sounds rather grizzly over there."

"We don't need it, though," Hades snapped, "I mean, let's face it: what's the worse that can happen?"

#

Xanatos sat at the keyboard, smirking slightly as he rested his fingers over each individual symbol and character before him. With a chuckle, he began to punch in keys, a grin on his lips. With a little reworking on his part, everything was going to go according to plan. He glanced at the two victims he was sending out to meet their fates. They were oblivious, of course, to the bearded man's true intentions, but, alas, their ignorance was Xanatos's greatest weapon. A grin on his lips, he pressed the enter button, summoning a great wall of light that exploded outward, filling the world with light as the portals through reality were ripped open, and his plan began.

#

Ariel stared out at the water, eyes wide as tears rolled down her cheeks. The sensations building up inside of her bore no similarity to any she had felt before, and no description could do them justice. The seas had been dyed scarlet with blood as it lapped up against the shores, the castle standing over the carnage that was strewn out around the waters. Pieces of bone and flesh drifted onto the shores, the eviscerated king of the sea now but a smashed up mass of torn apart flesh. Her scarlet hair danced in the air around her as she stared out before her, unable to talk beyond simply making strange sounds in the back of her throat.

She felt a hand interlock with her own, each finger spreading through her slender digits, as she glanced over her shoulder at the man behind her, eyes filled with soft understanding, lips parted slightly as he frowned, averting his gaze for a moment before returning it to hers, a look of silent understanding in his eyes. She stood strong for a moment before collapsing against his breast, his heartbeat her only solace as the beat of her tears running out from her eyes onto her cheeks filled her eardrums, her throbbing eardrums filled with horror and sorrow, loss and emptiness.

Her father was dead.

There was no other word to describe it. She felt little anger, no, that would've been a pleasant emotion next to the vast emptiness. It was simply the acknowledgement that, no matter what, she'd never see him again. Sure, she had given up the chance to see him frequently once she grew a pair of legs, and yet this new turning point, an inability to ever lay eyes on the man she loved as a guardian, was something beyond any threshold of her physical understanding.

"I miss you, daddy…"

"Mom! Mom!"

Ariel glanced up as her dark haired daughter darted up to the keep of the castle, staring at the duo with a desperate look in her eyes. She had her father's face and hair, but Ariel's daughter had Ariel's father's eyes, those passionate, powerful eyes. Strange how a girl with so many traits inherited by men still possessed her soft, gentle form, her beautiful, elegant curves that would no doubt develop beautifully in the coming years. However, Ariel knew that, when Melody's eyes were so passionate, it was best to follow her. Ariel and Eric descended the stairway as Melody darted down, leading to a great vortex in the air, swirling around a singularity before them.

"What in Heaven's name…?" Eric mumbled in awe as the numerous guards in the room stood away from the vortex, pointing great staffs defensively toward it as they inched closer to it. Melody was the closest, unafraid, as she stuck her hand into the hole in the air, much to everyone's fear and alarm, before drawing it back, her arm indifferent, save for the thin layer of sand that had blown onto her skin. Ariel stared at the portal in the air, confused.

"How did this get here?" Ariel finally asked, brushing aside her tears.

"It just appeared, m'lady," a guard replied, "Almost like magic, really."

"Magic?" Ariel repeated, only to remember the trident that now rested in that pirate's hands. Perhaps it lead to his domain. For an instant, rage filled Ariel's heart, but not a vengeful rage that she expected. No, rather it was a guilty rage, a rage at herself for letting her father die. Sure, she knew there was nothing she COULD have done, and yet the rage filled and consumed her nonetheless. Why did she feel such a depressing, crushing anguish was beyond her realm of comprehension. Regardless, she rose toward the portal, and knew what must be done.

The former mermaid turned toward the crowd, and said, in a determined voice, "We don't have much choice, do we?"

#

"Have you found her yet?" Shang asked, desperately, his narrow eyes widened with anxiety as his soldiers arrived. His face fell as each soldier nodded in confirmation that, indeed, no soldier had uncovered the fallen captain's body. Shang sighed, running a hand over her face anxiously as she glanced aside. He knew it was a bad idea to bring Mulan back into combat. She had vehemently protested, of course, dragging her father back to battle the Huns, and yet, when the messenger came to her house to inform her that the Emperor specifically wanted Fa Mulan as a soldier, well, things were a bit different. She wasn't happy, no, far from it, but at the same time she chose to fight, chose to stay at the Emperor's side as a member of his royal guard, for what Shang referred to as a "trial membership."

A trial by fire, perhaps.

Mulan couldn't just disappear off the face of reality. That vortex lead somewhere. The huns were easy to eliminate once their fearless leader and that buffoon with that loud weapon vanished, which surprised Shang. They were more difficult the last time. It seemed, almost, as though the constant traveling and combat had physically exhausted them, and they were easy to eliminate without a die-hard man forcing them onward. Now that China was relatively safe, he was on a personal mission.

A new soldier ran hurriedly toward Shang, a frantic look in his eye. Shang turned toward him, a smile on his lips. "Did you find Mulan?"

"No, not quite, sir, but I think you should come to look at this just the same. It's a portal."

#

Mulan breathed heavily as she rose to her feet, propping herself up into a sitting position, frowning slightly as she ran a hand over her face, barely able to take in her environment. Where was she? What was she doing? These questions and more filled her brain. Before passing out, she vaguely remembered the circumstances she was in, that loud, long machine ringing throughout the air, filling the silence with sound, before all went dark and vanished completely. Now, however, there was silence in this chamber, leaving her all alone. Where was everyone? Did they all abandon her? Leave her to the wayside?

She slowly rose to her feet, running a hand over her face as she glanced over her shoulder toward the door, nearing it slowly as she extended her hand for it, breathing heavily, slowly, as she turned the knob in her outstretched hand, pushing the door open to find herself in a room filled with chaos.

Bodies laid on the ground in puddles of their own fluids, their stomachs ripped open as a great beast stood before them. He stood on two legs despite his canine appearance, a monstrous man-wolf wearing the attire of a man, attire stained in the blood of others. It's jaws were lined with fierce teeth, all ferocious and grotesque in their own fashion, his eyes mad, full of an incredibly, unsatisfied starvation, a hunger beyond hunger. The wooden tables were overturned as people ran chaotically for the door, longing to escape, despite the occasional glance or two from the fearsome hound of hell himself.

Mulan watched as the hound turned toward her, and grinned.

The Wolf lunged for her, fingers outstretched for her throat. Mulan ducked hastily, slamming her fist headlong into the beast's solar plexus. She recoiled slightly as her injuries surged in hot throbbing pain, but she ignored it. She had experienced worse injuries than a mostly healed up impact wound. The Asian warrior spun through the air, leg extended, as she slammed her leg straight into her enemy's ribs. She felt them shatter satisfyingly under the incredible force, watching the Wolf soar into the counter not far away as his entire body twisted around, his skull clanking against bottles that shattered under the force of impact.

However, this only pissed the Big Bad Wolf off.

As shards of glass tumbled from his ripped open ears, the wolf rose up to its full height, howling fiercely before gearing back, ready to lunge at Mulan. She had no time. She tried to dodge, but soon the wolf was upon her, his weight pressing against her injured shoulder. She cried out for help as the wolf stood over her, jaws wide and ready to devour and crunch down upon her face, ready to tear her limb from bloody limb.

That was, of course, until a dark-skinned woman slammed a frying pan against the wolf's ear.

Mulan watched as shards of glass dug deeper into the hound's skull, drawing blood, as he was knocked over, stumbling as his equilibrium was thrown off. Injuries to the ear were known to throw a person off their balance, and it appeared the same held true for man-wolves. The Wolf tried to stand, only managing to stumble repeatedly into furniture. The woman grabbed Mulan by the wrist, and pulled her away. "C'mon, girl! We gotta get away from here."

"Hang on, we can't just let this thing there," Mulan stammered, in shock.

"Yeah, we can. What do you intend on doin'? Fightin' it?"

"I intend on slaughtering it."

Mulan became aware of that same deep, elderly voice she had heard before passing out. She stopped, as did the black woman at her side. The two of them turned to see a man dressed in long, flowing robes, dark in color, enter the picture, upon his head a large, broad hat, a purple ribbon trailing behind it. In his frail, fearsome hands was a broadsword, something straight out of the fourteenth century or something. The man extended his hand, ready to attack, as the wolf stumbled into the room, glancing around, unable to focus on anything at first.

"What do ya think you're doin', Frollo!" the black-skinned girl stammered, staring in horror at the sight before her.

"Well, I plan on killing this hellhound. No doubt it was attracted here by the sin and vice in this city, so only a virtuous hand can slay it. Allow me." The elderly man approached the fearsome beast, unafraid and yet, at the same time, emanating a sort of fearsome aura more terrible than even the raging, violent wolf. Mulan couldn't help but admire this man on some level. Here he was, battling a monster, to save them. That surely was what he was doing, after all.

The wolf lunged toward the elderly man, but Frollo simply swung his blade through the air. Mulan failed to see the exact strike from behind the old man's broad hat, but she did hear the blood splattering on the walls, the flesh ripping upon impact, along with the skull soaring into the ceiling, slamming heavily against it as the wolf stumbled aimlessly around, falling at her savior's feet worthless and dead. The old man turned toward the others, frowning, sheathing his blade at his side as he walked away, the headless wolf now nothing more than a dead animal in a corner.

"What a pathetic monster," Frollo mumbled, his purple ribbon dancing in the air.

"How did he get in here?" the black woman asked, "A good thing Naveen was out. I wouldn't want him getting mauled, ya know?" However, as confusing as the arrival of a monster wolf was to the Chinese warrior, there was one other query that held a higher place in the mind of the raven haired soldier, one that was, for lack of a better term, the 800 pound gorilla in the room that Mulan needed to point out.

"Uh, who exactly are you people?" Mulan asked, confused, "And why am I here?"

"Oh, my name's Tiana, and this gentleman over here is named Claude Frollo," Mulan noticed from Tiana's voice that the title of "gentleman" was one she forced herself to acknowledge, as though their personal savior had, in some way, wronged her in the past. Mulan couldn't fault the man. Sure, he looked like something you'd find under a rock, but he did protect them, so he couldn't be a bad person.

"Thank you for saving my life," Mulan said to both individuals, "But I need to go back to China."

"China?" Tiana repeated, eyes widening, "You came from…? No, you couldn't go back there, not with the conflict and everythin'!"

"Conflict?" Instantly, images of the Hun's invasion came to mind. Mulan's eyes widened in a terrified fashion as she placed a hand over her cheek. No doubt they had overthrown the Empire. No doubt Shang was in trouble. She had to get there as soon as possible. Shang couldn't be hurt! He had to be alright, he just had to be! "Please, I need to get there! I need to see if Shang's-"

"I think, however, this individual must be in the same situation as I am," Frollo said, "It would appear that we have both been separated from our respective worlds, and the France that I wish to return to, like your China, is very different than the place this Heathen refers to."

"Heathen?" Tiana repeated, eyes narrowed, "Excuse me?"

"But then how did I get here? And how will I get home?" Mulan stammered, desperately, eyes wide with terror.

"I-" Tiana began, but the sound of screams alerted her to the kitchen, where she sprinted over. Mulan pursued, closely followed by their black robed messiah. There, in the center of the kitchen, was a man with dark skin, eyes wide as he stared around at the room. "Naveen! What the-were you hidin' in here the whole time?"

"Princess, I-"

"Don't you Princess me! You could've done something out there, you stinking little-"

"Tiana! Look here!" Naveen stammered, pointing directly to a great vortex in the air.

#

The sound of a sword slashing through the air echoed loudly as Taran heaved the great blade across the air, deflecting a swing of a dark, nightmarish sword that slashed right at him, just missing his throat as he knocked the blade aside. To think, after surviving a great assault by the Horned King himself, that he'd be beaten by a tiny little rodent! By the sword he had stolen from the Horned King all that time ago, no less.

He thought of the events that had lead up to this incident, this confrontation. He had simply been tending to the pigs, just as any old day. However, it was then he saw storm clouds up above, at which he ran to protect the animals of the farm. However, in doing so, he saw a strange sight in the sky: a cyclone touching down upon the grass. Taran had thrown his arms up in defense, but he had nothing to fear from the torrents of air. As a single rodent descended from the sky, landing on the ground, a great sword in his hands, Taran knew he had a much more important thing to worry about.

He clearly was losing his mind.

A mouse with a sword? No, that was a rat. What sort of ludicrous dream was this? Things like that just didn't happen. Why would a small rodent appear like that so suddenly? It made no sense to him. He needed a second to collect data from the area before him: there was a cyclone. A familiar glowing blade was in the rat's hands. The rat survived the cyclone, as though it weren't a naturally occurring tornado at all.

It was when Taran recognized the blade as the sword he had traded to that trio of witches for the Cauldron that he grew nervous.

Taran found the first weapon he could, a large scythe, before darting hastily toward the rodent. He could run for help, but, alas, if he wasted a second, the rodent would go off with that blade and cause more chaos. With that sword, he could find the Cauldron yet again and summon chaos into their universe once more. He needed to eliminate the threat now, especially after the years of training he had received in the aftermath of their war with the king.

The sword, as expected, blocked on reflex, the rat grinning broadly. This rat was dressed in a peculiar attire, a suit and tuxedo, as though he were going to a classy gala of some sort. Even then, the attire was strange and foreign. Perhaps he was from a faraway land or something, but, regardless, he would never lay eyes on that world again if Taran managed to eliminate him in time. The rat chuckled in amusement. "Yes, just like Xanatos said. This is a nice little sword."

And that brought them to the present, the two blades slashing through the air, the glint of the sun shinning against the edges of each weapon as they weaved in and out, the rat's body being heaved into the air by the strength of the mighty sword. He drew high into the air, ready to slash down upon Taran, divide him from crown to crotch He blocked hastily, knocking the rat aside, but shattering the scythe in the process. Taran glanced hastily at the barn, darting back for a weapon as the rodent landed heavily on the ground, rolling slightly before extending his sword, blades of grass decapitated drifting and dancing in the air.

He darted forward.

Taran's fingers curled around a second scythe.

The knight in training turned, deflecting the attack, but saw a fatal plan in his defense. The sword tilted forward, ready to shatter Taran's skull down as it weaved forward, over the scythe, toward the teen's face! With a hasty twist, the sword embedded itself for a moment in the barn before freeing itself, holding the rat in the air, his beady eyes glowing with glee.

An arrow nearly missed his head.

Taran and the rat turned to the side as a blonde haired woman on horseback darted toward them, an arrow in her dainty hands. Her eyes were narrowed, bangs falling over her eyes as she readied a second arrow, aiming for the rat's skull. A second projectile hurtled through the air, soaring at the rat. A hasty slash bisected the arrow as Princess Eilonwy drew nearer, placing three arrows in the bow, and firing. Before the rodent could slash, Taran attacked. The rat's body landed on the ground hastily as the scythe embedded itself in the wall, and three arrows nearly pierced Taran's forearm, missing by inches. One even cut across his skin, drawing blood.

"Sorry!" Eilonwy would have called out, but there was no time for apologies in the heat of battle. The only thing there was time for was confrontation. The Princess loaded another arrow into her bow, and fired. Before the rat could block, Taran, nearer to the rodent, threw his scythe straight at the creature. The rat's eyes, tiny as the head of a pin, widened in terror as he blocked the closest oncoming object.

The scythe.

He failed to block the arrow as it landed straight in the center of his chest, piercing out through his spine as he was thrown into the mud, buried under layers of moist soil and rotting feces, forced into the earth so deep that his entire body was devoured by moist ground. A second passed where the water in the ground, dyed scarlet, bubbled as air burst outward, but the bubbling subsided quickly, leaving a small grave for a small rat.

Eilonwy dismounted at Taran's side, reaching for his arms, with tender hands. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to hit you."

"It's fine," Taran replied, ignoring his injuries as he heaved the blade the rodent had wielded with a single hand into the air, examining it. This was, indeed, the same blade he had sacrificed years ago. He stared at it with mild reverence, awe in his eyes.

"Well, I wouldn't have hit you if you weren't so careless," she said, frowning.

"Careless? I was fighting a flying rodent with a magic sword. If I was being careless, I'd be dead."

"You almost were, Taran. You need to just stop thinking about-"

It was as this point the black vortex opened in the air, silencing their argument.

#

Xanatos examined each vortex opening on the numerous monitors, a grin on his lips. He watched the confused faces in each parties' eyes before, after a quick discussion, the designated heroes entered through the vortex. There were several individuals he wanted, but for now, these would do just fine. Just enough to kill all the opposition before dying themselves. And, at the end of Ragnorak, there would be only one standing alive on the wreckage.

His name would be Xanatos.

A God.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

So far, I have a few plans for what is to come next, but please, tell me who else should join in on the fun? Any Disney characters you think might fit into this chaos? Leave in the Review section any requests for characters you'd like to see in future additions.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

Aladdin hung his head low as dead bodies were carted away. It was all his fault. Mozenrath had taken the Genie, captured him. What was that damn weapon he had carried in his hand, that device that had torn buildings asunder? That had captured his beloved friend? Abu rested on his shoulder, frowning slightly as he tried, in vain, to cheer him up. Nothing he could say could even bring him to a smile. Nothing could be said even by Jasmine, as she emerged in the doorway behind him, frowning slightly as she drew near. She pressed her dainty fingertips against his shoulder, lowering herself beside him.

"Father's men are looking for Mozenrath right now, so don't worry," Jasmine said, softly.

"They took him. I couldn't even stop one stupid-DAMN!" Aladdin pounded his fist against the stairs, the only thing he could focus his fury into. He felt Jasmine's soft, gentle arms wrap around his middle, drawing him closer as she stared up at him, her large, brown eyes filled with unshed tears. It melted his inner tensions away as he sighed, resting his own head against her mane of braided hair, nestling his nose into it. She smelt nice.

Like peace.

"What is this place?"

Aladdin snapped up as an unfamiliar voice rang out through the air, the sound of the crackling and movement filling his ears. Aladdin and Jasmine turned to face three figures emerging from a dark vortex in the air. The one closest to the stairway was a scarlet haired woman, dressed like royalty, a dark haired man at her side, along with a girl he assumed was their daughter. She looked so much like her father. They walked closer to the stairs, glancing around curiously, only as a second portal opened up. This time, a single man emerged, foreign and mighty looking. In his hand was a long sword, his body covered in armor that protected him from the harsh caress of the wind blowing around him, his cape flapping against the currents. Another portal opened as a blonde couple emerged, both armed, the boy with a great sword, the girl with a quiver filled with arrows.

Finally, a fourth portal opened before their eyes, and out emerged four figures. Two were dark skinned, darker than Aladdin, a male and female. Another was of the same creed as the armored man, glancing around nervously. The fourth, however, that fourth man…

"Shang!" the Asian girl cried out, sprinting for the caped man. She dove into his arms, his eyes filled with shock as her strong limbs tightened around his waist. He nearly stumbled over, despite how powerful he appeared, and yet he couldn't seem to stop smiling. Why did he look so overjoyed? No, he knew why: they were lovers. After all, why would the armored man, Shang, call out the girl's name, Mulan, in such an overjoyed tone, embracing her back just as tightly?

"Okay, so that's something you don't see every day," the dark skinned woman said, frowning, "Guess she was from another world, huh, Naveen."

"Tiana, maybe we should be a bit concerned about why we're not in our old world," chuckled the dark skinned man, Naveen, nervously.

"That's probably a good point," Tiana replied back.

"I knew we shouldn't have taken that portal, Taran!" the flaxen haired girl spat at the auburn boy.

"Eilonwy! You said no such thing!"

"Oh, no I did!"

"You didn't!"

"Yes I did! You just weren't listening!"

"If you are finished with your lover's squabble," that dark figure said, taking a few steps forward in his billowing black robes, "I fear there is much to discuss. I take it that all of you have had a visit from a fiend of some sort lately?" All the newcomers, along with Aladdin and Jasmine, seemed focused on this solitary figure, this old man with a dark, baritone voice, a voice that echoed through the bloodshed. There was something about this man that Aladdin instinctually hated. He didn't know what it was, but just looking at his face made his skin crawl, his fingers clench in hatred, and his pulse quicken.

"Alright, just who are you people?" Aladdin snapped, "We've had enough visitors for one day, in case you couldn't see, so just what are you all doing?"

"I-Oh my god!" the scarlet haired woman turned toward the bloodshed, finally seeing it for the first time. Her eyes wavered in their sockets, her hands clenched over her mouth as she fell to her knees, doubled over as nausea filled and consumed her. Her lover came to her side, calling her name, Ariel, as she nearly vomited on the floor. Her daughter soon joined her, clinging to her as she burrowed her face into her mother's bosom, to shield her eyes from the carnage. She wasn't the only one to have a strong reaction. Eilonwy and Taran turned a shade of white, though they didn't start retching, and Tiana, who also just noticed the blood, turned away, her lips drawn tightly as Naveen comforted her with his arms. The only ones to respond less dramatically were Mulan and Shang, who both regarded the scene with melancholy, yet expectant, eyes, and the old man, who didn't respond at all.

If anything, he smiled.

"This portal opened up nearby us, so I went through," Shang replied, simply, "That's why I'm here, and I take it the rest can make a similar case."

"I can safely assure you that we don't want to be here, but we need to be," Mulan said, "I think this is something meant to happen, us uniting."

"You're right," the red haired queen, Ariel, mumbled, slowly rising, her hair falling over her face, her voice rising with every word, "My father was just murdered, and now this. Someone is causing horrible things to happen, and I am not standing by and allowing this all to come to pass! Just what the hell is going on here?"

"I think Claude-"

"Watch your tongue."

"Right, I think Mr-"

"A more respectful-"

"Oh, will you shut up! Mr. Frollo here has a few things to tell all you people I think you should hear," Tiana said, folding her arms over her chest, her eyes staring at the palace before her, clearly avoiding the torn corpses strewn across the streets.

"Indeed I do," the old man, Frollo, said, slowly, his ancient lips curling into a slight grin, perhaps of triumph, "I am afraid to say that many of the people you probably spent a long time trying to kill have returned from the grave."

"The grave?" Jasmine stammered.

"So does this mean that Mozenrath and Jafar are-no, that doesn't sound like Mozenrath's style," Aladdin pondered, considering this. Mozenrath tended to work alone, to dominate all aspects of his plans. He wouldn't just team up with someone, especially not Jafar, who himself preferred to dominate matters. They'd distrust each other, and their alliance would be formed on a broken base. But, then again, Mozenrath did have that witchdoctor on his side. Perhaps he's the one calling the shots?

Perhaps Jafar isn't involved at all.

"If I may have my time to speak, I can explain everything," the ancient man said, "And we can plan our attack from there."

"Attack?" Ariel stammered, "I've had enough of this fighting. Isn't there another way aside from trying to kill someone?"

"No," Taran replied, sighing, "We need to kill the enemy. If you give them a second to recover, they WILL kill you. Mercy isn't a luxury we can afford now, especially if they're going to do this!"

"Agreed," Shang said, "We need a plan of attack. The Chinese army is in recovery, so we're going to need your troops. Every troop you have."

"But we-we-" Ariel stammered, only for Tiana to draw nearer, placing a hand on her shoulder. The redhead glanced up, stunned at this act of kindness, eyes wide as tears ran down her cheeks. Her husband and daughter stared at the newcomer, stunned, before frowning as she hugged the redhead in her comforting arms, letting the woman cry into her chest.

"What a radical display of emotion," Frollo mumbled, "Rest assured, I'm not overjoyed I need to accompany myself with the dregs of the Earth either, but-"

"Dregs?" Jasmine snapped, "I hope you aren't referring to us like that. You're speaking to royalty, I'll have you know."

"Royalty?" the old man laughed, "Royalty of the Kingdoms of Hell, perhaps, but nothing more."

"Listen, you jerk, if you want our help, you're going to need to be a bit more respectful," Aladdin snapped, drawing close, wrapping his fingers around his collar, hoisting him up above his feet, his face contorted in rage. He wanted to rip this man's face off, beat him to a bloody pulp. Thoughts of anger and hatred he never felt before consumed him, overwhelmed him. Even Jafar hadn't inspired this much hatred in his heart.

"Unhand me, you heathen!"

"Look, you're in here with us, and from the looks of things, you don't have a choice. You NEED us, and you know it.," Aladdin said, lips curling into a triumphant grin.

The old man didn't refute this statement.

As the Arab dropped the old man sloppily to the floor, he turned toward the others, fingers clenched tightly, "Look, I take it you're all from different worlds. That's not too uncommon of an idea around here. Now, listen very carefully: tell me everything that's going on here. We have hundreds of people dead all throughout Agrabah without any sort of explanation, and I for one am not going to just sit around and wait for an answer to pop up. Someone, just tell me what's happening."

Everyone was silent, until the old man rose to his feet, massaging his neck gingerly. "Very well. I shall explain."

#

"This Trident is a rather spectacular weapon, isn't it, Mr. Smee?"

The raging fires soared around them, violent tongues of flame devouring everything around him. The water itself had even lit on fire, the mermaids below forced to remain deep in the depths of the water to avoid the lethal flames from above. It was amazing to finally have some fun with Neverland, letting the irritating foliage burn a little bit. He was grateful that the flames did repel the fairies, who flew into the air, helpless, and wide open for capture.

"Kronk! What are you doing!" Yzma snapped. Kronk, the muscle bound idiot, was swinging a butterfly net through the air. The problem was that the net was easily escapable, as all the fairies ensnared in its net simply ripped open the net, and flew through the holes. That net was worthless, and yet he was waving it around like some sort of flag spinner in a poorly orchestrated marching band!

"Ah, Yzma, Squirrelly Scout tradition is butterfly catching, and this is just bringing back some old memories, ya know," Kronk replied.

Yzma pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head in disbelief. "Fine, do whatever you want, Kronk. Just don't screw anything up."

"Sure thing, Yzma," Kronk replied, swinging the net wildly, bashing it against a nearby pirate's temple.

"Cap'n, aren't ya worried that Peter Pan might come out?" Mr. Smee asked, cautiously.

"Peter Pan?" laughed Captain Hook, "Oh, I'm counting on him showing up." A smile curled around the pirate's face, the trident held in his hands and the hook constructed from Ursula's flesh. What a mighty hook! It felt stronger than ordinary, probably due to the potency of Ursula's magic. What an amazing way to eliminate a threat in a safe fashion.

"Cap'n Hook! Peter Pan ahoy!"

There, in the distance, was a cloud of bodies soaring toward the boat. He grinned. So Peter Pan was to come to him, along with his army of lost boys. Ordinarily, he'd feel mildly threatened, perhaps even afraid. However, now things were different. This trident changed things. He'd blow them out of the air, kill every last one of those damn kids now, he'd-

"Kronk! Load the cannon!"

"You do not make the orders on this ship, Yzma!" Captain Hook snapped, turning on the woman with a look of horror, "And what exactly are you loading into the cannons?"

"Why, just anti-flying powder," Yzma replied, shrugging.

"Anti-fly-Kronk, load it!" Captain Hook imaged the Lost Boy's flailing forms tumbling stories down into the fiery water below. What a horribly devious way to end. He hoped he could have blasted them out of the air with his trident, but he'd simply devastate the rest of Neverland, taking all the treasure, without needing to personally kill the boy.

The powder was launched into the air after a few seconds of working on it.

It flew at the mass, and exploded outward.

However, as the dust cleared, the bodies did not fall. If anything, they flew higher, soaring higher and higher into the sky until they disappeared entirely. Captain Hook scratched his head, confused, as Yzma glanced at Kronk, her eyes filled with rage. "Kronk, just what did you fire at them?"

"Oh, guess it was the anti-gravity powder and not the anti-flying one, huh?" Kronk laughed, nervously.

"That took two months to develop, you idiot!"

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter. They're all probably dead, so what do I care about how you got it done," chuckled Captain Hook, feeling a flutter surging through his heart. That damn Peter Pan is dead! After all these years of fighting him, he was gone! He had been finished, out of his hair without any difficulty at all, no mess and no struggle. He waited for the extreme euphoria and joy to consume him.

It never came.

Why did he feel so empty?

#

"So we're going ahead with the plan to attack?" Scar mumbled, "What an idiotic move."

"You're telling me," Gaston laughed, "I still think this is kind of stupid! I mean, all those beautiful women out there, and we're wasting time on a few Gods? Maybe the god of beauty will-"

"You're missing the point," Scar grumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. For such a mighty man, he clearly was an idiot. He didn't understand anything going on, other than his limited, narrow perspective of the world. If only Scar could be rid of him, and fast. And then things clicked for the lion, a grin curling around his feline lips. "Well, I'm surprised you haven't tried scouting out the threat yet."

"The threat? What threat?" Gaston asked, curiously.

"The threat of the people who stole the lamp," Scar replied, "After all, that genie can grant any wish. If you wanted almighty power, you'd have it. If you wanted, I don't know, to attract every female within a mile, you'd have that power." It was this off-handed comment that made Gaston grin.

"Well, no one mentioned it could do THAT," Gaston chuckled, "I suppose it might be a wise idea to look for this old thing."

"Well, I don't know. It's awfully dangerous," Scar said, turning around, glancing from the corners of his eyes at the buffoon, "Not worth your time, really."

"Not worth my time? Too dangerous? Clearly you don't know me as well as you think," Gaston laughed, "No one meets danger like Gaston!"

Oh, he was as predictable as the sun and moon rising. With a grin, Scar turned around, feigning caution and anxiety, if not only to mask the overwhelming vigor in his chest. After all, if Gaston went off and died, that would mean less competition, and, if he died fighting this enemy ration, it meant less enemies out there for him to overcome to reach his ultimate objective of conquest. "Oh, now, let's keep this a little secret between us, but, if you really want to go off, I'm sure Jafar would be more than happy to send you there."

"Oh, I'll go and ask Jafar right now," laughed Gaston, trotting off into the shadows.

Scar chuckled, turning away. One down, and several more to go.

#

"Alright, so where do we go from here?" Hades queried to himself, staring down at the chess board before him. Jafar stood apart from him on the other side, along with the Horned King. It was odd, but he felt these two were probably the most trustworthy members in his group, not because of their track record, but just because of their intelligence. Now, Hades had no doubt Captain Hook lead a loyal pirate ship crew, but he never did win much gold. Scar did conquer Pride Rock, but failed to manage it very well. The Horned King and Jafar, however, now they were born leaders, men of power and authority that made Hades respect them.

"I still insist we attack this enemy faction. The Lamp is an instrumental weapon, and to underestimate it is foolishness," Jafar replied, "But, if you're going to continue to stick your head in the sand, then we should attack Olympus quickly, if not only to establish control quickly rather than let it slip from our fingers."

"Agreed!" Hades laughed, "Now, the only thing is-"

"Jafar!"

The trio turned at the sound of that idiot Gaston's voice as he darted into the room. Hades wanted to strangle that idiot. He had shot Shan Yu to death. He was clearly not to be trusted, and, to say the least, quite a liability. He wasn't going to help them out, but rather end up dooming them all to utter annihilation. Sighing, Jafar turned toward Hades, and said, in his slow voice, "Excuse me for a moment. I will address this issue personally." As the old vizier took Gaston out of the room, his voice echoed through the chamber as he harshly whispered, "Do you realize what you just interrupted?"

"Right, well, Horny, tell me what ya think," Hades said, turning toward the Horned King.

"Alright. I was hoping you'd allow me to use the Cauldron to raise an army of the dead."

"Army of the dead? Fine, I can handle that. How many dead people do you need?"

"Every last one," the Horned King said, smiling.

"All of them!" Hades stammered, "Wow, man, let's take it easy here. Do you really need every last one?"

"It's just a precaution against dangerous enemies, like the men in Agrabah."

"Horny, that was a fluke, nothing special. Now, c'mon, man, ya really can't be telling me you're scared of a guy who messed up a few people, are ya?"

The Horned King was silent for a moment, before speaking once more, his unsettling, supernatural voice slow, perhaps betraying a hint of anxiety. "That power wasn't normal. It was something larger than any of us, and to underestimate it is foolish, if not downright stupid. I suggest we go out and eliminate this threat post haste. If not for personal security."

Didn't these people realize they had nothing to worry about? They were being led by a God! He wasn't just some ordinary, run of the mill bad guy. Hades was the Lord of the Dead! It wasn't just a simple matter of failing to do this or that, he was the zenith of power and magic. Nothing anyone could do would stop him. Even Jafar wouldn't be able to beat Hades. He was eternal! Why did everyone act as though there was a chance in Hell they'd lose?

"I think there is another group out to reach our same goal," the Horned King said, "That's my belief, and if you don't listen, then there is a strong chance we'll lose more men. Personally, I'd rather not die a second time."

"Look, Horny, if ya die again, I'll bring ya back."

"Then tell me; why isn't Shan Yu back from the grave?" the Horned King asked, "He died awhile ago, and yet you haven't brought HIM back." Hades laughed nervously at this. What was he going to tell the Horned King? That, after dying a second time, a soul was stagnant and impossible to touch for an extended period of time? That Shan Yu was outside of even the God of Death's grasp? That, if the Horned King died again, he'd wander through oblivion for an extended period of time?

No.

"Look, I'm still looking for his soul. Don't worry about it!" Hades laughed, patting the Horned King on his boney back,. "Now, you just worry about raising armies of the dead and all that. We have a lot to worry about tomorrow. We don't have the time to waste on some nobody who captured a Genie. Probably too short sighted to see what we'll be doing. Besides, Jafar himself is a Genie, stronger than that blue guy, too. I'm not worried."

"But I am, Hades. Oh, I am."

#

"Your name's Ariel, right?"

The scarlet haired girl glanced up at the sound of her name, glancing into Tiana's soft, dark eyes. The poor girl looked awfully broken up. She had been alone all day, and, even when great feasts were served for the guests, courtesy of the Sultan and Agrabah palace, she had remained in tears alone in her room. Her husband, Eric, who seemed like a nice enough man, had tried comforting her, but nothing had come of it. Her daughter, Melody, seemed melancholy as well, but not truly broken, not like her mother.

She was such a slender girl, beautiful looking, with those big, round eyes. She probably needed the piece of Tiana's home made cake, which she just happened to have a piece of at that particular minute. She handed it to the girl, who accepted it with a soft word of thanks. She slowly ate it, the fork held between trembling pale fingers. Her eyes stared off into oblivion, not on the cake, nor on Tiana, but simply out into the expanse of nothing, nothing that extended to infinity.

"Hey, what's eating you up?" Tiana asked, sitting next to Ariel.

The redhead didn't answer at first, but finally the words came out. "My father was killed today."

"Oh." Tiana wasn't sure how to respond. Perhaps she should simply say how she felt, how, after her own father died, she had felt a sense of great emptiness, the only thing keeping her going being her goals of owning a restaurant. An all consuming obsession, one could argue. Still, it didn't look like Ariel had a goal like that. She looked like one of those rich folk who had everything they wanted already. There was nothing to motivate or distract Ariel like there was with Tiana.

She needed to confront her depression head on.

"You have a daughter?" Tiana asked, smiling slightly.

"Yes."

"Aw, now that's just-well, me an' Naveen have been tryin' for a daughter, but, well, it looks like we're gonna have t' try a little harder, ya know?" Tiana chuckled slightly, "Not that I'm complainin' and all, but, well, how old is your girl?"

"Melody's turning fifteen this May," Ariel replied, softly.

"Well, that's a great year."

"That's how old I was when I met Eric, and, well-I'm sorry if I'm getting sentimental," Ariel replied, brushing her palms up against her eyes.

"Nah, don't worry, it's fine. So how old are you now?"

"Well, I'm about 33."

"33? Man, I wouldn't of marked you as older than 24! Well, look, if you want me to prepare you any more food, you just let me know, okay, sugar?"

"Yes, thank you," Ariel replied, lowering her head once more, her scarlet locks tumbling over her face once more. She had such a pretty face, and the look was enhanced by her somber, sad eyes. It was odd how an angel sometimes looked prettier when she was sad. Tiana couldn't help but envy her, being a Princess and everything-no, a Queen! Sure, her daddy was dead, but so was Tiana's, and she managed pretty well. But that was because of her goal.

Maybe being born with royalty wasn't such an easy life after all.

#

"So this Mozenrath person you spoke of is a master of the dark arts?" the baritone voice of Frollo echoed through the war room, staring down at the rest of the mass, sans one Ariel. Mulan couldn't help but admire him, though not in the same way she admired Shang. That was a very different admiration. No, here was a man who had saved her life from certain doom. She felt a little sorry for him, seeing as how everyone, even Shang, seemed to inherently hate him.

"Yes," Aladdin said, "Now, was he part of this group this Hades guy rounded up?"

"From your description, no, he wasn't," Frollo replied, "But, of course, he could've added to his ranks since my departure."

"We killed this mouse guy," Taran said, holding his sword in his hands, frowning slightly, "Armed with this, even. This sword is enchanted. It'll never be able to miss its mark, and we warded him off and killed him, even armed with this blade. I'm not sure whether that means they're weak or if we're really strong."

"There are clearly other worlds we haven't explored yet," Melody, the youngest of the fold, said, frowning slightly, "I think we should get more help, if we can figure out how these portal things work."

"I can figure out something," Aladdin said, "If the Genie were here, he'd be able to help, but-"

"A demon?"

"One more word, Frollo, that's all it'll take for me to just dump you in the desert," Aladdin said, clenching his fists up tightly. Mulan didn't mark Aladdin as an aggressive person. Why was it that this old man inspired such furious emotions in him? Why was it that simply laying eyes on a holy judge was enough to make him want to commit irrational murder? Mulan glanced back at the judge, who betrayed a sense of fear at the prospect of being left in the wastelands of sand, lowering his head in resignation.

"Now, we can raid Mozenrath's Kingdom," Jasmine suggested, "Maybe there'll be some answers there?"

"I have no problem with that," Shang said, withdrawing his blade, as he stood up, "Surely there'll be some sort of information we can gather there."

"Yes, but more important, maybe a way to open up a portal to the other worlds," Naveen said, frowning, "This is some pretty heavy stuff."

"But even if we find some magical way to open up portals to other worlds, then what?" Eilonwy queried.

"The way I see it," Aladdin said, "This Hades guy is gathering a bunch of people we've already beaten in the past. The fact is, though, that we've beaten them before. We can win a second time, if we all just work together."

"We've already taken down Shan Yu, and I think a few of us have already beaten other old enemies too," Mulan said, smiling confidently, "I think we really can win this, if we all work together."

"Indeed. Now, there is just one thing bothering me," Aladdin said, turning toward the judge yet again, "Hades brought you out of the Underworld to help him, right?"

"That is correct."

"Well, if he took you out, clearly someone killed you in another world, is that true?"

"What are you implying?"

"Is there any way we can get them to help us?"

The old man rose to his feet, his long purple ribbon dancing in the air like a serpent around his torso. "I'd sooner burn them in the fires of Hell than ally myself with them once more."

"That kind of attitude isn't going to get us anywhere," Eric said, frowning, "In this case, we may just need to make allies with people we probably wouldn't work with ordinarily. Given the chance, we may need to recruit the people who took you down, too."

"This is absurdity! I cannot allow-"

"So you'd rather a bunch of monsters destroy everything than just swallowing your pride for a few seconds?" Aladdin asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Pride? This is not a matter of pride! This is a matter of purity!"

"No, it's pride, you self-righteous jackal! You can have your revenge on them later, if you insist on it, but for now, we need them! We don't have a choice. And you don't have a choice."

There was a pregnant silence that filled the room for a few moments. Frollo glared at the Arab boy for a moment or two before folding his arms over his chest, seating himself down, eyes still narrowed. "Alright, I'll concede for now, but rest assured, I doubt they'd be anything short of hostile if they so much as glance at someone as glorious as me."

"Right, well, we'll deal with that when it comes," Jasmine replied, frowning a tight, angry frown.

"Now, I'm going to go to the Land of Dark Sand, and I may need a few other people with me," Aladdin said.

"Why don't we all just go?" Eric asked.

"We need people to defend the palace in case the worst should happen," Jasmine said, "That's why I'll be staying behind."

"I'll go with you," Mulan said, rising to her feet.

"I'll defend the palace," Shang added, "Just because I know you'll be fine on your own."

Mulan blushed at this.

"You may need my sword," Taran said, glancing over at Aladdin.

"I'll take an enemy out before they even reach the gates," Eilonwy declared, smiling brightly.

"I'm not much of a fighter, but I'm sure Naveen would love to go into this Dark Sand place." Naveen looked terrified at the prospect of going, and waved his wife's comments off with a shaky, nervous laugh.

"Don't listen to her. She's just fooling herself. I'll stand in defense."

"Suit yourself," Melody replied, "I'm going over to the Sand."

"Defense," Eric said, "And I'll speak for Ariel when I say she'll defend, too. She's in no condition right now to go out on an adventure just yet."

"Fair enough," Aladdin said, turning to the last member of the group who had yet to declare at thing, "What're you gonna do, Frollo?"

The old man was silent for a moment before saying, rising to his feet, "I'll burn this Dark Kingdom to the ground once we're through with it."

Aladdin, for the first time in all his conversations with the judge, smiled a genuine smile.


End file.
